Over the years we’ve eliminated, reduced and recycled. Now we’re making our boldest, most urgent commitment yet.
Clif Bar & Company has proudly signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment to help create a world where plastic never becomes waste or pollution.
That means, by 2025:
• 100% of our packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable
We're focused on our consumer packaging & starting with the iconic CLIF BAR® wrapper, challenging ourselves to create a compostable wrapper
• 25% of the plastic used in our packaging will be made with renewable or recycled materials
We prefer using materials that can be replenished or giving what's already out there a second chance
• We’re going to cut out the plastic packaging we don’t need - with a goal of using 10% less
We reduced the size of the CLIF BAR wrapper more than five years ago and are continuing that work by minimizing the footprint of our current wrappers
• Our packaging will drive awareness and education
We'll start by adding the How2Recycle label to give consistent and transparent recycling information on-package
We’re also tackling plastic pollution now with another ambitious 2025 goal:
• Removing 1 million pounds of plastic waste from the environment
That means working to prevent plastic waste and rolling up our sleeves to clean-up plastic pollution in our waterways and on public lands
Clif Bar/Eric Walle
The Journey to Packaging with Purpose
We’ve been at this for a while. Here are some highlights of our progress so far:
2001
Introduced CLIF® SHOT® Energy Gel Litter Leash®, the first eco-conscious energy gel tear top that folds out of the way during use, but stays attached, minimizing plastic litter on roads and trails.
2002
Re-designed our caddies to eliminate 90% of shrink-wrap, avoiding the use of 90,000+ pounds of plastic a year. (Caddies are the boxes that hold our bars.)
2003
Started making our caddies using 100% recycled paperboard.
2008 – 2019
Partnered with TerraCycle on an industry-wide energy bar wrapper recycling program aimed at keeping energy bar wrappers off hiking trails and out of landfills. The program has helped collect more than 50 million energy bar wrappers nationwide.
2015
Redesigned CLIF BAR® energy bar wrappers to be 10 percent smaller (the bar itself stayed the same size).
2017
Started using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paperboard for about 90% of our caddies. The FSC assures that the fiber is sourced from responsibly managed forests or from post-consumer waste. In 2017, we saved approximately 130,000 trees, 90 million gallons of water and 15 million pounds of CO2 by using recycled and FSC certified paperboard caddies versus industry standard paperboard.*
2019
Joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment "New Plastics Economy" pledging that all Clif Bar packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
2020
Hired first Chief Innovation Officer, Rizal Hamdallah. In this role, Hamdallah leads the development of products and business models that are purpose-built and create positive change through food.
We’re working with partners across the industry and within our supply chain to promote sustainable packaging research and innovation.
Made with Renewable Energy
We work with our suppliers to help them transition to using renewable energy. Approximately 90% of our packaging suppliers are sourcing renewable energy for the electricity used to make our packaging.
Progress through Partnership
Clif Bar & Company is a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), a network of businesses dedicated to the sustainable use of packaging materials in society.
*Estimates were generated using the Environmental Paper Network’s Paper (www.papercalculator.org)