FDBusiness.com

Every year, consumers across Europe buy 17 million skyr buckets from Arla Foods. Now, the international dairy group is ready with a more sustainable packaging for the skyr buckets. The new bucket is made with 40 percent less plastic and will ensure a 30 percent CO2 reduction. The sustainable skyr buckets are an example of the latest initiative in Arla’s ambitious packaging strategy.

“At Arla, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact, and sustainable packaging is a vital part of the solution. Last year we converted more than one billion packaging items to sustainable materials across Europe. With our new skyr buckets we take the next step. We have minimized the use of plastic and reduced use of fossil-based material. This means that we in collaboration with our European consumers can reduce CO2 emission by 30 percent compared to the previous skyr bucket,” explains Lise Berg Kildemark, Director of Sustainable packaging at Arla Foods.

To begin with, the new skyr buckets will be available for consumers in five of Arla’s core markets: Denmark, Germany, Sweden, UK and the Netherlands.

Less plastic and more cardboard

The cut in CO2 is primarily driven by a significant plastic reduction. Each bucket has sixteen grams less plastic than the former packaging, and the bucket and lid are 100 percent recyclable. This ensures a plastic saving of 40 percent, corresponding to 270 tons of plastic per year. The reduced plastic is replaced with a cardboard wrapper made from certified cardboard, which originate from responsibly managed forests. The cardboard is easy to separate by the consumers and can be recycled. In other words, this means that Arla has removed plastic and replaced it with renewable cardboard.

Creating new environmentally friendly packaging that also meets the requirements for food safety and functionality is a key focus for Arla. Therefore, the dairy company works hard to continuously improve the packaging and make it more sustainable.

“Using less plastic is a key part of Arla’s packaging strategy. We are constantly looking to reduce our carbon footprint and increase the sustainability of our packaging. And there is no doubt that reducing plastic is a vital aspect to achieve that goal. Therefore, we work closely together with our suppliers, researchers, and customers to find solutions to minimize the use of plastic,” says Lise Berg Kildemark. “The perspective for the new skyr bucket is tremendous. Initially, we are replacing the old buckets in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, UK and the Netherlands, saving plastic and CO2. Going forward we will look to use the sustainable bucket in other countries and for other products as well. This packaging is a good example of how we invite our customers and suppliers to be part of the sustainable agenda, where circularity is the common goal.”