We are keenly aware that through our packaging we have an enormous impact on the environment. Our packaging choices are extremely important to us, as we know they are to you. Over the years, Stonyfield Farm USA has devoted significant effort to identify ways to reduce the environmental burden due to our packaging.
Background
In the mid-'80's when we began examining the environmental aspects of our packaging, we assumed that the most important characteristic was its recyclability. It was important to us that the finished product not become solid waste. We set out to find the most recyclable cup available. We discovered through our search that recyclability is just one of the many factors that must be considered in addressing the total impact of our packaging on the environment.
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 and use, through to its reuse, recycling and/or disposal - or "cradle to grave."
There have been several LCA studies that have aided manufacturers in the decision-making process. One of the earliest of these in-depth 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. Focusing efforts predominantly on the "end use", such as recycling or disposal, addresses only a fraction of the overall impact of the container. It is more accurate to look at the environmental impact of the container over its entire life cycle. 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 concept of source reduction - reducing the amount of material in a product - has been overshadowed by the tremendous enthusiasm to recycle. Recycling is very 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.
Our choices
After examining our options (including glass, poly-coated paper, and plastic), we chose a lightweight plastic. Glass, which is widely recycled and made from recycled material, was rejected as the environmental costs of transporting the heavy material outweigh the benefits. The energy (fossil fuels) used over the entire life of the glass package exceeds the energy that goes into the manufacture and transport of a plastic container.
The future
A polypropylene container is by no means our vision of the ideal packaging. There are several very promising materials on the horizon. We are working with one supplier of a plastic made from carbohydrates, such as corn and beets. In the not-too-distant future, your yogurt cup could look and feel like the plastic cup of today, but be made from excess agricultural materials such as cornhusks or potato skins.
We are actively working toward the day when we can get our product and packaging to you in ways which, through the manufacture, transportation, use and recycling back into our resource base, will not create waste that pollutes our waters, emits greenhouse and ozone-damaging gases, and depletes our natural resources. Our ideal packaging may mean that when you're finished eating your yogurt, you'll consume the delicious (and nutritious) container, or toss it onto your compost pile to return it to its carbon roots.
The "bottom line" is that we have extensively studied the environmental burden due to our packaging and are working hard to reduce it. We believe that given current technologies, we are using the lightest-weight, most environmentally-sound packaging available today to protect the quality and integrity of our products. We will continue to research and develop new packaging that uses fewer materials, is more renewable resource-based, and is made with less toxic and environmentally-unfriendly processes and materials.
