Thanks to a 2022 NE-DBIC Dairy Packaging Innovation Grant we've been working hard to research and share vendors of sustainable packaging for the benefit of all small producers/manufacturers out there. Our project has three main goals:

1. To design and implement a climate-forward packaging line that will eliminate virgin plastics and target every aspect of our distribution in order to reduce waste and promote reuse and compostability (from the individual caramel/cheese wrappers, to folding cartons and cellophane bags, to corrugated shipping boxes, cold-packs and insulation, as well as even packaging tape and shipping labels used for e-commerce shipping).
2. To optimize marketing of this initiative by creating a Sustainability Narrative through proper messaging and labeling on our packaging, website, and informational inserts to be included with all shipments, as well as to initiate a digital marketing campaign to highlight our transition to a zero-waste packaging line.
3. To design, create, utilize, and ultimately share a template of accessibility to packaging research, technologies and solutions catered to small and mid-sized dairies, milk processors, and specialty food producers who find themselves in a similar situation of wanting to innovate their packaging in sustainable ways but not knowing how to go about it. (see below)

As long-time members of the Vermont Specialty Food Association, Vermont Cheese Council, as well as being an Animal-Welfare certified farm and ambassador, our farmstead products are well known for their high-quality, small-batch/farmstead nature. With help from this grant and with the help of our partners, we hope to lead the transition toward packaging innovation that helps put New England dairies, farms, and milk processors on the leaderboard of green packaging design and distribution.

Below, feel free to explore our internal database of packaging suppliers. We hope it can help to inform and encourage all producers to work toward more sustainable packaging solutions.

As you find suppliers you like, check their websites and reach out to them directly with any questions, especially around prices, certifications, and disposal claims. We do our best to keep this up-to-date, but if any info is out-of-date, or if you have other vendors that you've found that we could add to any given category, don’t hesitate to let us know: bigpicturefarm@gmail.com