At Sidehill Farm, we are very happy with the quality of the yogurt we produce, and with the many relationships we have built within the local food network. We have great customers, and a fun and highly skilled team in the creamery. But we are not so happy about the volume of plastic that we bring into the world.

Right now, we are producing about 6000 quarts of yogurt a week, and that's a lot of plastic to be responsible for. Though it is true that in Massachusetts recycling rates are very high, world-wide only 2% of plastics are recycled. 2%! That is both shocking and appalling! We are feeling this weight.

What to do? Glass is not realistic - it is heavy, energy intensive, and prone to breakage. A shattered glass container in the middle of a packaging run would be an emergency and a food safety nightmare!

Instead, we are considering a returnable, reusable stainless steel 32oz container.

Imagine a stainless water bottle, but in the shape of a yogurt cup, sealed with the same foil that is on the current plastic containers.

We are currently working with River Valley Market to design a deposit and return system for these cups. We will wash and sanitize the cups in-house, and then refill them - just like we used to do with glass milk bottles!

We are applying for a grant to do a trial run. But it is best not to get ahead of ourselves - there is a question to be answered first. Are people actually interested in this? To us it sounds like a no-brainer, but there is a catch. Stainless is very washable, easy to sanitize, and essentially unbreakable; but it is also expensive. We are not yet sure what the ultimate cost would be, but we are expecting a deposit in the $7-$12 range. Of course, you only pay the deposit for the container once, and then exchange your empty when you next buy yogurt.

So we're taking a poll! If this deposit is in the $7-$12 range, are you likely to switch to the returnable stainless container, or are you more likely to stick with the plastic container?

Please click on this link to our super quick and painless poll. Just one yes or no question, and you are done! Thanks in advance for your help!

https://form.jotform.com/Amy_Klippenstein/stainlessyogurtcupsemaillist

(Thanks to James Lombino for photos, visioning, and engineering on this project!)