Rocky Road milk is here
Speciality milk producer Lewis Road Creamery is celebrating its 10th anniversary of iconic chocolate milk with a new flavour.
Premium dairy brand Lewis Road Creamery is switching to recycled (rPET) bottles for its milk range from the end of August.
The move is part of LRC’s commitment to the New Zealand Packaging Declaration, committing to 100% of its packaging being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 or earlier.
Lewis Road is the first milk producer in the country to change to rPET bottles which are made from entirely recycled plastic; no new plastic is created to produce the bottles, which can then be continuously recycled.
The switch to rPET for its 750ml and 1.5 litre bottles will save approximately 210 tonnes of plastic being produced and imported into New Zealand each year. Lewis Road says the change will account for 80 percent of the plastic it uses.
“We know the dairy industry uses a lot of plastic and we want to take responsibility for our share of that,” says Lewis Road founder Peter Cullinane.
“We want to move quickly and do something now, so changing to a recycled plastic that can be recycled again and again is our first step.”
As part of a wider packaging review, Lewis Road has also become the first dairy company to sign up to the New Zealand Plastic Packaging Declaration, committing to more sustainable packaging solutions.
“We love fresh milk, but not fresh plastic. We believe bottles that require no new plastic are a great step.”
“And we’re closely assessing the feasibility of other options too, including glass. Longer term, we believe the answer will be a mix of solutions including both rPet and glass. The good news is that we can take this big step immediately and then keep going,” says Cullinane.
Lewis Road’s 750ml and 1.5 litre white and flavoured milk bottles will start to transition to rPET bottles from 27 August with the changeover expected to be complete by 17 September.
The bottles can be recycled as normal by consumers rinsing and placing them into their kerbside recycling bins.
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
Sheep and beef farmers Matt and Kristin Churchward say using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread fertiliser on their sprawling 630ha farm is a game changer for their business.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.