How smarter packaging cut plastic at scale in Cambodia
By making a small but carefully tested change to its feed bags, De Heus TMH Cambodia eliminated approximately 25.000 kg of plastic eliminated kg during 2025, without compromising packaging performance or the customer experience.
Rethinking everyday materials to tackle plastic waste
Plastic pollution is a global environmental challenge, affecting Cambodia as well as many other countries around the world. De Heus TMH Cambodia aims to contribute to tackling this challenge by reducing the amount of plastic used within its own operations.
Millions of feed bags are used by the company every year. This means that even a small reduction in the amount of plastic used for each bag can create a significant combined impact when applied at scale.
“Reducing plastic is everyone's responsibility. Even small changes can have a positive impact on the environment and help build a more sustainable future.”
Reducing plastic without compromising performance
To turn this opportunity into action, De Heus TMH Cambodia launched the Plastic-Free Future initiative. Its objective was clear: reduce the amount of plastic used in feed packaging while maintaining the quality, strength and practical usability customers expect.
Working together with feed bag suppliers and colleagues from Purchase, Commercial, Production and Sustainability, the company redesigned selected feed bags. The main change was reducing the weight of each bag from 122 grams to 110 grams, saving 12 grams of plastic per bag.
Before being introduced more widely, the lighter bags underwent technical testing and supplier validation. The new design was then rolled out gradually, beginning with selected product categories. This phased approach helped ensure a smooth transition without disrupting product availability or the customer experience. Packaging quality continues to be monitored through the annual customer satisfaction survey and the company’s complaint log.
Scaling a small change into measurable impact
During 2025, the initiative delivered clear, measurable results:
- More than 1 million feed bags purchased with reduced plastic content
- 12 grams of plastic saved per bag
- Approximately 25.000 kg of plastic eliminated
- Approximately 65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent avoided, based on an impact factor of 2.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per tonne of polypropylene
Beyond these figures, the project demonstrates that operational improvements can deliver both environmental and business value. It also raised awareness among employees and suppliers about resource efficiency and sustainable practices, laying the groundwork for further.
Building on progress towards more circular packaging
The current results represent an important first step. De Heus TMH Cambodia is continuing to explore opportunities to reduce packaging materials and increase the use of more circular solutions.
The approach could potentially be extended to additional product categories and may also offer a practical model for other De Heus business units and markets. Any wider implementation would need to consider local packaging requirements, supplier capabilities and customer needs.
Strengthening a more sustainable supply chain
This initiative contributes directly to the Sustainable Supply Chain pillar of the Responsible Feeding Programme. By reducing plastic use at the source, De Heus TMH Cambodia helps limit the amount of plastic waste that can end up in the environment, particularly in rivers and seas where pollution remains a growing challenge. It shows how small, practical changes in daily operations can create a lasting positive impact for future generations.
