Companies, particularly consumer packaged goods brands, understand all too well the increasing pressures from consumers to improve the sustainability of their consumer packaging. Consumers want packaging that is as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. Companies that take a proactive approach to respond to these demands are favorably rewarded — through enhanced consumer loyalty for their products and their brand. In fact, 81% of consumers say they prefer to buy from brands that prioritize sustainability, and 74% are willing to pay more for products in more eco-friendly packaging. 

These demands, when coupled with industry regulations, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, have leading companies, like Stonyfield Organic (“Stonyfield”), taking action to improve business practices and make the shift to more sustainable packaging.

For more than 40 years, Stonyfield has been committed to promoting a healthier planet. The company focused on healthier business objectives by transforming its product line to organic yogurt which lead to B Corp certification. The company has experienced many “firsts” in the food industry – the first dairy processor to pay farmers NOT to treat cows with synthetic growth hormones, introduced the first certified organic whole milk yogurt for babies and toddlers, and the first yogurt cups in the U.S. made from plants. And Stonyfield is not stopping there.

All of Stonyfield’s products are made without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The company’s rich history is deeply rooted in planet-friendly business practices. In fact, Stonyfield was one of the first U.S. food manufacturers to offset emissions from facility energy use. In 2022, the company achieved its goal of using 100% renewable electricity for its New Hampshire-based manufacturing facility, in part through the purchase of renewable energy credits associated with solar projects.

Making the shift to more sustainable packaging

In 2014, Stonyfield introduced the first organic refrigerated yogurt pouch. This format has been widely adopted since its inception, and it continues to gain popularity among consumers. As a fast-growing packaging format, Stonyfield recognized that pouches presented a unique opportunity to explore improvements in the environmental impact of its product packaging. The company was determined to reduce virgin plastic consumption as part of its broader company mission to promote a healthier planet.

With these goals in mind, Stonyfield looked at:

• Lighter-weight materials
• Mono-material film and caps
• The impact of this work, including:
• Reduced virgin plastic consumption
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)

Challenges, successes, and lessons learned

Stonyfield set out on a journey to develop a lightweight, mono-material pouch that is designed with the aspiration for potential future recycling. The company is launching a webinar with sustainability consulting firm, Pure Strategies, to candidly share the challenges and successes of this work while providing insights and resources to help other companies make the transition to more sustainable packaging.

Webinar: How Stonyfield Organic Improved the Environmental Footprint of Its Consumer Goods Packaging

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 11:00 AM EST.

Session description

As demand for sustainable packaging and regulatory pressures increase, brands must rise to the challenge and work to improve the environmental footprint of their consumer goods packaging. As a fast-growing format, pouches presented a unique opportunity to tackle plastic source reduction and resulting GHG emissions reductions while exploring the current infrastructure challenges associated with the recycling of film and flexible packaging. 

Join Stonyfield Organic and Pure Strategies for a webinar to learn about Stonyfield’s journey to develop a lightweight, mono-material pouch. This session will share insights into the challenges, successes, and lessons Stonyfield has encountered along the way, helping brands to make improvements to their product packaging environmental footprint, meet the needs of the marketplace, and achieve sustainability goals.

What they will cover:

• More sustainable pouch packaging opportunities and challenges
• Resources to support reducing the environmental footprint of pouches
• Insights for others looking to improve packaging sustainability

Speakers:

• Bridget Pichette, VP of Quality and CSR at Stonyfield
• Britt Lundgren, Senior Director of Sustainability and Government Affairs at Stonyfield Farms
• Ariella Sela, Senior Sustainability Advisor, Pure Strategies

Register for the webinar here.

Stonyfield has published resources to help support this work, including a Case Study and How-To Guide.