If product is spoiled or damaged, then it doesn’t matter how “green” or sustainable the packaging is. Dairy processors are moving beyond waste and recyclability and taking a holistic view of product packages.
Marva Maid Dairy, Newport News, Va., touts the environmental friendliness of its milk cartons. In December 2012, the dairy processor said it brought back the milk carton because “cartons mean better milk and a cleaner environment.” It had been using plastic. The cartons feature a barrier board that keeps oxygen out and taste and vitamins in, the processor said. The processor said more than 50% of the energy used to make the carton comes from biomass (renewable energy) and that more than 70% of the carton material comes from responsibly managed forests.
While cost is the top factor driving the packaging industry today, sustainability concerns will dominate packaging industry work in 10 years in both Europe and North America, according to a recent study conducted by Packaging World magazine and DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers. Consumers also care increasingly about the environment, and they expect the products they buy to be produced in an environmentally responsible way. Milk is no exception.