Maybe we're just a little crazy. Environmentally friendly ice cream? Is there such a thing?
As we prepared to launch Perfect Flavor, our goal was to have the smallest enviromental footprint of any ice cream maker in the country. It was a lofty goal, but it has proven worthwhile.
Over time, the largest impact of a business like Perfect Flavor isn't from its building, or the equipment we use, but from its consumables - the things the business "uses up" to produce its products.
This category includes things like the raw milk we pasteurize and separate, the electricity used by our business, and also our packaging. We have spent long hours and considerable expense on making sure that our packaging meets the long-term sustainability requirements of our business. Our overarching goal is to meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs - the Seventh Generation principle.
All this has lead to a set of guidelines for selecting our packaging. Perfect Flavor packaging must be:
- Compostable
- Easily recyclable
- Manufactured from Recycled Post-consumer Waste (PCW)
Ideally, a piece of packaging must be all three. If it can't meet all the requirements, we view being compostable as the most desirable, and merely recycled as the least.
In practice, this means we package our ice cream in Natureworks PLA Biodegradable Plastic packaging. It looks, feels, and acts just like regular old plastic (the kind made straight from petrochemicals - oil), but it's not. There are tangible benefits. Corn-based plastic doesn't emit toxic fumes when incinerated, and requires 20-50% less fossil fuel to make as compared to regular plastics. And it can be composted (though it's not easy to do so on your backyard compost pile). It's not perfect, but we see it as a big step forward.
