Yoghurt tubs being made from ocean-bound plastic

Brownes dairy is releasing yoghurt tubs made from ocean-bound plastic — ie, plastic that’s found within 50 km of Australia’s coastline. The tubs will be fully recyclable by kerbside waste management operators.

“Brownes Dairy is showing our commitment to sustainability through action. We were first to introduce Australia’s most sustainable milk cartons and we wanted to push the envelope again by using recyclable ocean-bound plastic in our yoghurt tubs,” said the CEO, Natalie Sarich-Dayton.

Brownes has partnered with companies including Heng Hiap Industries and PakPot, which are certified by Zero Plastic Oceans, an NGO dedicated to addressing plastic pollution.

“Working with certified partners not only prevents plastic waste from ending up in the ocean, it also creates employment opportunities for underprivileged coastal communities,” Sarich-Dayton said.

Switching to ocean-bound plastic yoghurt tubs is claimed to prevent about 2.7 million virgin plastic tubs being created annually.

In addition to the sustainable yoghurt tubs, Brownes is transitioning the CHILL 750 mL Flavoured Milk bottle range to 100% recycled plastic.

Studies suggest 90% of Australian consumers are concerned about sustainability and have the view that businesses and brands should be most responsible for the impact on the environment.

As part of its sustainability focus, Brownes partnered with Trillion Trees, an environmental replenishment not-for-profit organisation, to contribute to the Trillion Trees Challenge. The organisation has been active since 1979 in Western Australia and has planted close to 15 million native trees.

Since 2016, Brownes has also been an active signatory of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), a packaging value chain that collaborates to keep packaging materials out of landfill and retains the maximum value of the materials, energy and labour within the local economy.