ConAgra Foods Inc. said it would incorporate post-consumer recycled plastic in its frozen meal trays, a North American first, which would divert about 8 million pounds of plastic from landfills to the recycling stream annually.

Through the new meal trays, ConAgra Foods said it would utilize at least 8 million pounds of post-consumer recycled plastic annually. The company added that it has begun to use between 30% and 40% post-consumer recycled plastic in nearly all of its frozen meal trays for its products since June 2008.

The packaged food company partnered with Associated Packaging Technologies to utilize a new technology that cleans recycled plastic for use as a component in frozen meal trays and makes it safe for consumers to eat the prepared food directly from it. The company noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new trays as direct food contact materials.

The company noted that the move would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15,200 tons of CO2 per year, the rough equivalent of 2,000 cars off the road each year.

CAG ended Monday's regular trading down 1.51% at $22.24 on the New York Stock Exchange.