The collaboration follows the brand’s announcement of the first-ever store drop-off recyclable snack bar wrapper

On the heels of announcing the first plastic snack bar wrapper to be approved by How2Recycle as store drop-off recyclable for its iconic Crunchy granola bar, Nature Valley^TM is teaming up with eco-friendly actor and activist Zac Efron and Down to Earth to raise awareness about store drop-off recycling. Together, the trio will encourage consumers to adopt the habit of bringing eligible plastic film recyclables to participating stores by highlighting how a small act can have a big impact on the planet. The partnership kicked off today with a video from Efron, which got consumers excited about how this collaboration will come to life over the coming months.

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“I’m psyched to team up with Nature Valley over the next year to share what I’m learning about the amazing possibilities that come from recycling plastic packaging,” said Efron. “After filming Down to Earth, my passion for understanding and improving how we all impact the earth has only deepened. I’m glad brands like Nature Valley are taking the lead to innovate new ways we can divert waste to help create a more recyclable future.”

According to the Hartman Group’s 2019 Sustainability report, 70% of the U.S. population want to decrease plastic waste but don’t know how, yet over 90% of Americans are within 10 miles of a store Drop-Off recycling location. That is a potential 295 million people who could participate in Store Drop-Off recycling and Nature Valley is dedicated to converting as many consumers as possible to adopt this way of recycling.

Nature Valley launched the first plastic film wrapper designated as Store Drop-Off recyclable by How2Recycle® with the brand’s iconic Crunchy granola bar in February 2021. The newly packaged bars are on shelves now, bringing Nature Valley closer to achieving its commitment to 100% recyclable packaging by 2025. By purposefully not patenting this wrapper, Nature Valley is welcoming other food brands to continue to work with suppliers toward making their product packaging recyclable.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Zac and Down to Earth to continue our pursuit of a more sustainable planet,” said Jenna McGrath, Senior Brand Manager, Nature Valley. “Our new store drop-off recyclable wrapper was just the first step in achieving our greater sustainability goals. It’s imperative that corporate America step up to this challenge, and we’re proud that Nature Valley is leading that charge for snack food brands.”

For more information about Nature Valley’s journey to create a more recyclable future, visit NatureValley.com/Recycle4Nature.

About Nature Valley

Nature Valley believes that nature brings out the best in all of us. That’s why the brand continually strives to connect people to nature not only through Nature Valley bars, but also outdoor experiences. The brand is committed to acting as an ongoing force for nature by restoring and preserving access to trails nationwide. With access to 10,000 miles recently completed, the brand committed to an additional 10,000 miles expected to be completed in 2023 through a partnership with the National Park Foundation. As creator of the granola bar category in 1975, Nature Valley offers a wide variety of products across bars, snacks and granola selling 3.6 billion granola bars worldwide each year. Visit NatureValley.com to learn more.

About General Mills

General Mills is a leading global food company whose purpose is to make food the world loves. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie's, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Häagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, BLUE and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2020 net sales of U.S. $17.6 billion. In addition, General Mills’ share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.0 billion.

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