Stonyfield Farm announced today that they will be using plant-based packaging for their multi-pack yogurts. The packaging, made from corn, will replace the petroleum-based plastic that is traditionally used in yogurt cups. The cup will be 93% plant-based; the other 7% will be made out of titanium dioxide (for color) and additives. When the label and lid are included, the entire package is 81% plant-based.
Traditional plastic is made from oil or natural gas. The bio-based packaging is made from polylactic acid (PLA). PLA can be made from a variety of plant products, but in the US, corn is used. The corn is turned into corn starch and then fermented into lactic acid (similar to how yogurt is made). The lactic acid is then made into plastic. Stonyfield hopes to make the plastic out of non-food crops in the future, such as switch grass.
Stonyfield has tried to make the process as environmentally-friendly as possible. Their concern about the prevalence of genetically modified (GMO) corn pushed them to create an offset through the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Working Landscapes program to pay farmers to grow non-GMO corn using sustainable production standards. A life-cycle assessment of the packaging found that it would reduce Stonyfield's greenhouse gas emissions from packaging by 9%.
Technically, the cups can be recycled, but there are only two facilities in the world that can separate the lid and packaging from the cup, so it is not feasible for the most consumers right now. Most interestingly, Stonyfield found that, "the independent review of PLA’s environmental impact found that composting is not the best option for disposing of the cups, anyway. This is because composting would release back into the atmosphere the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the plant-plastic which was absorbed by the corn when it was growing
Traditional plastic is made from oil or natural gas. The bio-based packaging is made from polylactic acid (PLA). PLA can be made from a variety of plant products, but in the US, corn is used. The corn is turned into corn starch and then fermented into lactic acid (similar to how yogurt is made). The lactic acid is then made into plastic. Stonyfield hopes to make the plastic out of non-food crops in the future, such as switch grass.
Stonyfield has tried to make the process as environmentally-friendly as possible. Their concern about the prevalence of genetically modified (GMO) corn pushed them to create an offset through the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Working Landscapes program to pay farmers to grow non-GMO corn using sustainable production standards. A life-cycle assessment of the packaging found that it would reduce Stonyfield's greenhouse gas emissions from packaging by 9%.
Technically, the cups can be recycled, but there are only two facilities in the world that can separate the lid and packaging from the cup, so it is not feasible for the most consumers right now. Most interestingly, Stonyfield found that, "the independent review of PLA’s environmental impact found that composting is not the best option for disposing of the cups, anyway. This is because composting would release back into the atmosphere the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the plant-plastic which was absorbed by the corn when it was growing
Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog posted by Dara Olmsted
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