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Yogurt cups to toothbrushes

Pw 15893 Tooth Brush2

Although Stonyfield Farm believes source reduction is the best way to minimize the burden of its packaging on the environment, the yogurt maker hasn’t abandoned reuse and recycling. In fact, for those two “Rs” the New Londonderry, NH, company is literally putting its money where its mouth is.

In 2000, for example, Stonyfield began a partnership with Recycline Inc. The Somerville, MA, firm markets toothbrushes whose bases are made primarily from post-consumer and post-industrial Stonyfield yogurt cup material. (Organisms are destroyed during post-grinding and reheating stages where the cup material reaches temperatures exceeding 350°F.)

Between mid-2000 and January 2002, more than 500ꯠ cups had been used to produce Recycline’s Preserve-brand toothbrushes. That’s according to Eric Hudson, Recycline’s president and chief executive officer. Hudson adds, “This year we’ll make about 600ꯠ toothbrushes and use almost one million cups” from Stonyfield. Toothbrushes are sold nationwide, at prices ranging between $3.29 and $3.95 at retailers such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe’s.

On one of the packaged Preserve toothbrushes (shown on opposite page) sent to Packaging World, a printed full-body band shows the Recycline and Stonyfield Farm logos, with copy that states “handle made from recycled Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups.” On a side panel, printed copy tells consumers, “Toothbrush and packaging are completely recyclable with Recycline’s postage-paid mailer. Send your used Preserve back to us—we turn them into plastic lumber, which is used to make porch decks and park benches.”

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