Many consumers ask us why we use #5-PP (Polypropylene) plastic for most of our yoghurt cups, especially since it is not always accepted at recycling centers. Not all facilities can process #5 Polypropylene. It's a good question—and the answer may surprise you. We have studied this issue from various angles and have made our decision based on the facts described below. As you might guess, protection and preservation of the environment is very important to a company that makes all natural yoghurt, and we believe our choice is actually a better one for the environment. Waste management teaches us to first reduce, then reuse, and finally recycle. Good stewardship of our natural resources involves balancing all three factors. Here's how we do it: Reduce The environmental impact of a type of packaging actually begins with production , not disposal. In fact, over 95% of the environmental costs of a packaging lies in the production and less than 5% in the disposal.* So while recycling is an important step in environmental protection, we consider it more environmentally advantageous to reduce the amount of material generated in the first place. To cut the amount of actual plastic we introduce into the system, we decided to use the lightest plastic material available: #5 plastic. Because it can maintain structural integrity with thinner walls, it actually requires 30% less plastic . Moreover, #5 plastic is less polluting to make. It's manufactured without the use of chlorine and the hazardous release of dioxins during manufacture and incineration. That said, our 64-oz. containers are made of #2 plastic because they need thicker walls. But Mountain High Yoghurt's large containers (32-oz. and 64-oz.) offer one other important secret to sustaining the earth's resources: one big container uses less plastic than 5 or 10 smaller ones. * According to Tellus Packaging Study, Tellus Institute, May 1992 Reuse We encourage you to re-use all Mountain High Yoghurt cups whenever and however you can. Six-ounce and larger cups are perfect for storing all kinds of things: from food—such as candy, sugar, flour, popcorn, cereal, etc.—to everyday items—such as pens, paperclips, nails ... the list is endless! The 6-oz. cups are the perfect size for snacks for kids on the go (animal crackers, anyone?). We have also heard from consumers that the 32-oz. containers are perfect for freezing. Any size cup is handy for kids' art projects or for mixing paints. We even donate cups to daycare centers to encourage creativity! We also donate cups to a local Humane Society—it turns out our 4-oz. containers are the perfect size for a serving of cat food. Recycle Because #5 plastic is not accepted in all towns, consumers have requested that we use #2 plastic, which is widely accepted at recycling centers. The sad truth is that, while #2 cups might be welcomed, they don't necessarily take the path you think they do. Usually only #2 plastic bottles are actually recycled, and almost all #2 wide mouth cups (such as a yoghurt cup) end up in the landfill anyway. Bottles and wide mouth cups have different melting points, so cups cannot be as readily recycled. To avoid consumer confusion, recycling centers accept all #2 plastic, but only recycle the bottles. For now, we believe that Polypropylene is currently the best choice for our packaging, as we find it to be the best choice for the environment. We continue to review this issue regularly and look forward to contributing to any better solutions that may develop in the future.
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