By Kim Burns, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) is pleased to announce five recipients of the Dairy Product Packaging Innovation Grant, four of which are Vermont-based. This program will award $1.1 million in grants to support projects that would reduce the use of virgin plastics and the environmental impacts of dairy product and supply chain packaging. The projects will increase marketability of dairy products by meeting consumer demand for more intentional sustainability practices. Projects will also include information sharing with other Northeast processors to allow other businesses to benefit from research and findings gained from their grant project. Funds were awarded to projects that spanned along the spectrum of research, development, and implementation, and education.
- Agri-Mark, Inc./Cabot Cooperative Creamery of Waitsfield, VT will receive $323,875 to collaborate with TC Transcontinental to produce a study on a shelf-life and feasibility that compares sustainable cheese packaging options. The study will encompass market research on consumer perspective on sustainable packaging, as well as an educational component that will enable the collaborating partners to share findings across the Northeast dairy processing industry.
- Big Picture Farm of Townsend, VT will receive $147,800 to transform their entire line of packaging for their farmstead milk cheese and caramels to environmentally friendly formats that are recyclable, compostable, FSC-certified, and/or climate-forward. They will also design, create, and share a template of green-packaging solutions catered to small and mid-sized dairies and processors who want to innovate their packaging in sustainable ways.
- Jasper Hill Cellars of Greensboro, VT will receive $127,442 to work with the University of Vermont (UVM) to assess sustainable packaging options for soft and hard cheeses and how packaging affects sensory qualities and shelf life. The research conducted by UVM will be made public for other artisanal cheesemakers. Jasper Hill will also work with Rival Brands, a Vermont-based branding and design firm, to conduct market research to understand consumer preferences for branding sustainable packaging. They will compile this market research to benefit other cheesemakers.
- Stonyfield of Londonberry, NH will receive $300,000 to redesign their YoBaby pouches so that they are recyclable, which will result in a 0.7% reduction in Stonyfield’s total packaging carbon footprint. They will then expand improvements onto all pouch lines and production sites. In addition, this project will enable an adoption of the recyclable pouch format to other dairy processors.
- Vermont Creamery (Land O’ Lakes) of Websterville, VT will receive $200,000 to convert its current fresh goat cheese (chèvre) primary retail packaging into a recycle-ready or compostable structure by 2025. They will gather additional solutions that can be implemented amongst similar productions across the dairy industry. Another component of this project includes consumer education on proper recycling and disposal methods. Vermont Creamery will partner with local partner, Casella Waste Management Systems, to achieve this goal.
For more information about this grant and upcoming opportunities, contact Kathryn Donovan at kathryn.donovan@vermont.gov or 802.585.4571.