Ideal Bite

Are you one of those people who think they can't recycle yogurt cups?

01.23.2006

Submitted by idealbite on Mon, 01/23/2006 - 6:00pm.

The Bite:

Change your yogurt, and think again. Yogurt containers are commonly made of #2 or #5 plastics. Although #5 plastic, is not recyclable in most communities, some yogurt producers have adopted polypropylene #5 packaging, because it uses significantly less plastic than HDPE #2 plastic and does not require the use of cholorine.

The Benefits:

Reduce waste. Buy yogurt in #5 plastic cups with foil – not plastic – lids. Stonyfield Farm alone has eliminated “the manufacture and disposal of over 100 tons of plastic” each year, and Dannon has done away with the plastic “overcap” on their 6 oz. containers.
Reuse. Don’t despair about those #5 plastic yogurt cups you’ve cleaned and sorted. They are the perfect size to start seedlings or grow small pots of herbs in your kitchen.
Recycline creates toothbrushes, razors, plates and cutlery out of recycled #5 plastics. 65% of the plastic in their razor’s handle is from Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups.

Personally Speaking:

Heather got a Preserve toothbrush in her stocking this year (clearly, Santa is a Biter) and loves it. What does she love even more? The idea that she’s brushing with plastic that might once have been in George Clooney’s yogurt container. Sigh.

Wanna Try:

Stonyfield Farm and Dannon – Check them out and feel good that they are working to reduce their environmental impact. Stonyfield also has an organic line for even more Bang for your Bite.
Recycline – Also available under the brand name Preserve, at Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s and Wild Oats. They even provide postage paid envelopes so that their products can be returned to them for another round of recycling ($13/4 toothbrushes; $7.25/4 razors).
If your area doesn’t accept #5 recycling, Stonyfield Farm takes back their own clean cups. Save them up and mail them to: Stonyfield Farm, 10 Burton Drive, Londonderry, NH 03053.