Arla, a leading player in the dairy industry, has achieved a significant milestone in the realm of food and drink sustainability. The company has transitioned its Arla Cravendale and Arla B.O.B 1-litre bottles, produced at the Stourton site, to post-consumer recycled PET (rPET), making it a first in the milk category.
This innovative shift is part of Arla’s commitment to delivering fully circular packaging devoid of virgin fossil plastics. With this new bottle design, Arla is eliminating nearly 900 tonnes of virgin fossil plastics from its operations, demonstrating a strong dedication to sustainable packaging solutions.
Furthermore, Arla’s LactoFREE cheddar packs will feature packaging crafted from a mono material, aligning with OPRL guidelines to provide a recyclable solution. This initiative marks a groundbreaking development for UK cheese blocks, as it uses mono material on a high-speed, multi-jawed packing machine for the first time.
Catriona Mantle, head of milk, organic, and yogurt at Arla, stated: “This is a massive achievement and the culmination of years of scoping and planning with our partners at Logoplaste and Wipak UK. On Arla LactoFREE – this process has taken approximately four years to develop – in partnership with Wipak UK.”
These advancements form part of Arla’s ongoing commitment to improve food and drink packaging. Most recently, the company announced the introduction of clear caps for its private label milk. Additionally, Arla is launching a carton line for fresh milk from its Stourton site in Leeds. Importantly, Arla is not resting on its laurels; further changes will continue to emerge across its branded portfolio as part of its strategy to eliminate virgin fossil plastics.
