At Stonyfield, we make millions of cups of yogurt each year, and we're keenly aware of the enormous impact our packaging has on the environment. Our packaging choices are extremely  important to us, as we know they are to you. We've worked hard, over the years, to reduce our packaging's environmental impact. At Stonyfield, we make millions of cups of yogurt each year,  and we're keenly aware of the enormous impact our packaging  has on the environment. Our packaging choices are extremely important to us, as we know they are to you. We’ve worked hard, over the years, to reduce our packaging’s environmental impact.

Recyclability

In the mid '80s, when we began examining the environmental aspects of our packaging, we assumed the most important characteristic was recyclability. It was important to us that the finished product not become solid waste. We set out to find the most recyclable cup available, but discovered that recyclability is just one of many factors to consider when addressing the total environmental impact of packaging.

Source reduction

In recent years, an effective tool has emerged for measuring the total environmental impact of a product. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the process of determining the environmental impact of a product from its manufacture, through its use, re-use, recycling and/or disposal (from "cradle to grave").

There have been several in-depth LCA studies that have helped manufacturers make packaging decisions. One of the earliest of these studies was undertaken by the Boston-based Tellus Institute. The study compared a variety of packaging options including plastics, aseptic and poly-coated paper (such as milk cartons), metals and glass.

The findings were surprising, indicating that less than 5% of the total environmental cost of packaging is in the disposal. Over 95% of the environmental cost is in the production of the package-in the energy used and toxins created in the manufacturing process. So, when we address only "end use" (recycling or disposal), we addresses only a fraction of the overall impact of the container.

The Tellus Institute study concluded that-with the exception of PVC plastic (# 3), which has significantly higher environmental impact-"the lightest-weight package per unit of delivered end product is generally the lowest-impact product."

The importance of source reduction-reducing the amount of material in a product-has been overshadowed by the tremendous enthusiasm for recycling. Recycling is important, but it can be more environmentally advantageous to reduce the amount of material generated in the first place. The solid waste hierarchy teaches us to first reduce, then reuse, and finally recycle.

Weighing the options

After examining our yogurt packaging options (including glass, poly-coated paper, and plastic), we chose lightweight plastic. We rejected glass, which is widely recycled and made from recycled material, because the environmental costs of transporting heavy glass containers outweigh the benefits. The energy (fossil fuels) used over the entire life of the glass package for its manufacture and transport exceeds the energy that goes into the manufacturing and transportation of a plastic container.

Lightweight polypropylene (#5) plastic

As a result of the Tellus Study, we converted all of our HDPE #2 cup packaging to polypropylene (#5), the lightest-weight plastic that would protect our product. Today, our quart containers are more than 30% lighter than they were when we used #2 plastic. By using #5 plastic instead of #2, we prevent the manufacture and disposal of hundreds of tons of plastic per year, resulting in environmental savings from the decreased air emissions and resource depletion from the manufacture and distribution of the packaging.

About #2 recycling

Many of our yogurt lovers have asked us to use HDPE (#2) plastic because it's the only yogurt container recycled in their community. Unfortunately, although many communities accept #2 plastic for recycling, some recycle only the #2 bottles, and not wide-mouth containers such as yogurt cups.

Wide-mouth containers have a different melting point than bottles so the two cannot, in most cases, be recycled together. Often, to avoid confusion, a community will accept #2 bottles and wide-mouth containers but recycle only the bottles, and send the wide-mouth containers to become waste.  

Our #5 Recycling partnership with Preserve®

Since most community recycling centers don't accept yogurt cups and #5 plastic containers, we've partnered with Preserve--makers of 100% recycled household products--to turn our used yogurt cups into new products. You can drop off your clean, used cups in a Gimme 5 recycling bin at a Whole Foods Market or other retailers near you and Preserve will recycle them. Learn more about Preserve and the Gimme 5 recycling program.

Polystyrene (#6) plastic   

We chose polystyrene plastic for our yogurt multipacks because it's a lightweight plastic that has a lower impact on the environment than other options available for this packaging format.

From a food safety perspective, polystyrene has been determined by both the U.S. FDA and the European Union to be safe for packaging that is in direct contact with food. The FDA requires the styrene content of the packaging to be less than 5,000 parts per million (ppm). The styrene content in Stonyfield's packaging is less than 400 ppm-- 92% below the allowable limit.

While our styrene content is well below the allowable limit and polystyrene is considered safe, we've thought, for many years, that it'd be a good idea to develop an alternative. We've invested a tremendous amount of resources in finding that alternative and believe we're just months away from an exciting breakthrough. So please stay tuned.

Click  here to learn about our Sustainable Packaging Team.