We realize we have a huge plastic problem on land and in the oceans, and we believe that any practical step towards increased sustainable living is worth the effort. We use tetra cartons for our shelf-stable products, but we're committed to 100% recyclable PET plastic for our flagship milks for optimal sustainability because plastic actually has a much more positive end-of-life story than paperboard.
Paperboard cartons, which contain a layer of virgin plastic (about 20%—25% of "cardboard" packaging is plastic), often end up in landfills because relatively few recycling facilities are equipped to separate the two materials. This is just the disappointing truth. Conversely, PET is recycled at higher rates than any other plastic, and 94% of households in the US have access to PET recycling.
After a disruption in supply due to the pandemic, we are excited to once again be able to use PCR PET for Ripple milk bottles. This is consistent with Ripple's circular approach—we want our packaging to "have a past and a future," i.e., be made from recyclable materials that will get recycled again. Using existing, recycled, recyclable plastic wherever possible supports the movement towards decreased plastic manufacture and increased demand for plastic recycling plants worldwide.