Sazid Habib
SIG and SIG Foundation have officially handed over their pioneering “Cartons for Good” pilot project in Bangladesh to Akij Monowara Trust, marking the start of a new phase in a proven model for tackling food loss, malnutrition and social inequality leveraging SIG’s filling technology and expertise in packaging solutions.
Launched seven years ago, Cartons for Good converts surplus vegetables into nutritious, shelf‑stable meals using a downsized mobile filling unit developed by SIG experts to fill the meals into SIG’s carton packs. The solution, designed to be operated and maintained locally to help people in need, preserves food safely in SIG carton packs for up to 9 months without refrigeration, helping to address post-harvest food losses and gaps in access to nutrient-dense foods in Bangladesh.
With the pilot phase completed in March 2026, the system and processes are running stably, and the equipment is in excellent condition – ready to be used further. As SIG Foundation works with partners to advance initiatives that strengthen civil society and create positive impacts for the environment, the handover to Akij Monowara Trust, part of the trusted Akij Group ecosystem, which is an SIG customer since 2016, secures continuity and local ownership.
Since 2019, the project has delivered daily meals for under‑privileged schoolchildren, enabling them to go to and stay in school rather than entering work too early to earn money for food. Within the pilot phase, 119070 meal packages have been filled and distributed to schools, saving 23.2 tons of vegetables that would otherwise have been lost. Cartons for Good has also supported disaster relief, including packages donated during the 2022 floods, packages handed over to people in need in 2024, and additional packages for flood victims in 2024.
Holger Dickers, Managing Director SIG Foundation: “At the SIG Foundation, we work with partners to advance initiatives that strengthen communities and support positive environmental impact. Cartons for Good in Bangladesh has proven its value during the pilot phase and we are happy to hand it over to Akij Monowara Trust to continue the valuable work done for people in need and the environment.”
Dr. Tanvir Mahmud, Head of Operation at Akij Monowara Trust: “We are happy and proud to continue this valuable project. By building on the strong foundation created by SIG and SIG Foundation, we can keep supporting vulnerable communities, provide nutritious meals to schoolchildren and families, and ensure that farmers benefit from produce that might otherwise be lost.”
How it works
Local farmers bring excess crops to be processed into meals and are paid for their produce, creating an additional income from what would otherwise be food loss. These fruits and vegetables are used to cook nutritious meals according to traditional local recipes and then filled into SIG cartons. Used packs are collected and recycled into new products such as shoeboxes and book covers, reinforcing the circularity and ESG credentials of the initiative.
The project will continue under the “Cartons for Good” brand producing meals for people in need. SIG Foundation financially supports the project for the next three years. This includes delivery of sleeves and spare parts. SIG will support with service hours. Stora Enso will donate liquid packaging board for the packs used in this project.
Cartons for Good supports SIG’s Food+ commitment to increase by 50% the volume of nutritious food and beverages delivered in its packs by 2030 (from a 2020 baseline), underlining SIG’s broader ambition to drive positive societal impact through sustainable packaging and technology.
For more information about Cartons for Good and SIG Foundation’s sustainability initiatives, visit https://www.sig.biz/en/foundation.