Part of the LiveOAK Network

About Us:

We are a new media company publishing websites that focus on energy, the environment and sustainable living. By leading the conversation about green issues, LiveOAK aims to advance the principles of sustainability by making them meaningful and accessible to a mainstream audience.

Our Sites:

More Info:

More ↓
You are in: Home > , > Stonyfield Farm Makes The Move To Plant-Based Yogurt Cups

Stonyfield Farm Makes The Move To Plant-Based Yogurt Cups

2 by Karen MacKay on October 29, 2010

An extensive LCA analysis has led the company to drop Polystyrene in favor of plant-based plastic.

This month, Stonyfield Farm announced they will begin using PLA, a plant-based plastic, for all multipacks in the YoBaby, Yo Toddler, Yokids, B-Well, B-Healthy, Probiotic & O'Soy product lines. PLA (polylactic acid) is made from corn and will cut packaging GHG emissions by 48% and reduce their overall GHG emissions by 9%.

Although originally skeptical about using a plant-based material, Stonyfield did an intensive LCA analysis with Dr. Ronaly Geyer from UC Santa Barbara, that showed over the entire life cycle of the product, PLA is preferable to polystyrene. PLA can be made from a variety of sugary plants, including beets, sugar cane and tapioca. In the US, the only maker of PLA uses corn as its sugar source. New technologies are currently in development to make PLA from agricultural by-products or perennial plants that grow near prime agricultural land.

Until now, polystyrene has been the only plastic suitable for the machines used to form, fill and seal multipacks. If all dairy companies in the United States follow suit and replace their polystyrene containers with plant-based plastics, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by 671,234 metric tons a year. That’s equal to the emissions from 1.5 million barrels of oil. Stonyfield is joining other companies in the move towards polystyrene alternatives. (Source: Stonyfield Farm)

More Crisp Stories From the Web:

| More

Category: , | Tags: , , , , ,

About the Author:

Karen MacKay is an industrial designer and glass artist currently focusing her work on urban agriculture solutions and habits for urban wildlife. Karen’s interest in art began as early as her first memories. Throughout high school and college she explored various mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture and glass blowing. In 2002 Karen graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a BA in Philosophy and recently graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Master of Industrial Design. Since an early age, Karen has maintained a passionate relationship with both art and nature. She loves to spend time in the outdoors, usually with her dog Abbey. As a designer, her expertise in sustainable design integrates her passion for all things natural and her insatiable desire to create. Karen has worked as a sustainability consultant to various design and architecture firms and is currently continuing to develop a vertical farming device for in-home use.

Twitter Follow Karen MacKay on Twitter: @kmackay

2 responses to “Stonyfield Farm Makes The Move To Plant-Based Yogurt Cups”

Sites linking to this article:


  1. GT QuickPack » The Plastic Soda Bottle Gets An Algae-Based Redesign
    GT QuickPack » The Plastic Soda Bottle Gets An Algae-Based Redesign
    February 17, 2011 at 7:41 am |

    [...] made of alginate, a substance extracted from the walls of brown algae, this bioligically-inspired plant-based plastic both reduces landfill waste and is edible. The “bottle” is made from a membrane that [...]

  2. PepsiCo Will Switch To 100 Percent Plant-Based Bottle | Crisp Green
    PepsiCo Will Switch To 100 Percent Plant-Based Bottle | Crisp Green
    March 24, 2011 at 9:51 am |

    [...] recently announced it has developed the world's first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based fully renewable resources. The innovative packaging is made from bio-based raw materials, including [...]

Leave a comment