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Vega really that Green?

I'd like to offer a suggestion for the April Thrive challenge....
My partner and I consume a lot of Vega whole food optimizer. We love it...but the packaging is brutal...not earth friendly at all!!!!! The huge plastic tubs are only half full, and although we try tp reuse them, you can only reuse so many. How about some alternative packaging? Like a re-fill bag so that we don't have to keep buying these wasteful plastic tubs. The Smoothie infusion comes in a bag...why not make the optimizer in one as well. It's such horrible wasteful packaging on a product that claims to be so earth frendly....doesn't jive. I know Vega can do better.

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Comment by Vega Kelly on April 7, 2010 at 9:23am: Julia - I totally agree that we should minimize our use of materials that need to be recycled. The tubs selected for Vega HO were used primarily because they are standard sizes, not as a means to fool anyone. The powder does settle with shipping, which is why you may find the tub less than full when received. One day, we hope there is biodegradable plastic that will accommodate a substantial shelf life to ensure the freshness and quality of the product. In the meantime, we weigh the pros and cons very carefully. Where is the container produced? Where is the label printed? How much does it cost? Should we use a standard or custom size tub? Each of these and many others are considerations when selecting the appropriate option.

I'm also going to suggest to the group that we explore the option of a bulk purchase of Vega for those who use the product regularly. Once again, thank you. I really appreciate that you take the time to share feedback with us so we have customer input on the improvements you most want to see.
Kelly

Comment by Julia Wilkes on April 6, 2010 at 9:18am: If freshness is the issue then why is the smoothie product not packaged the same way? Also, why do the containers have to be so huge? To "fool" the consumer? The amount of product that comes in the large size container fits in the smaller size container. They are only ever half full.
I agree Michael, packaging is extremely tricky. Biodegradable plastic would be better. But I do think that finding better packaging WILL make a huge difference in the carbon footprint of the product. A product is not separate from it's packaging. I can see the waste pile up in my kitchen as my partner and I cringe to throw away the packaging in the recycler. We have them all over the house, for food storage, loose change....you name it. But still there is always a big stack waiting to go out to the bin.

Comment by Michael Genereux on April 6, 2010 at 8:47am: really? packaging is tricky don't you think?

i use a skin care line called eminence from hungary and i know their plastic is supposed to break down after 3 years... its also all wind powered yada yada....again kelly is right, they need a container that will keep our product fresh.

and in the grand scheme...its the vega itself has a small carbon footprint.. recycling or using some other kind of container is probably not gonna make a huge difference as recycling itself is extremely inefficient.

Comment by Vega Kelly on April 6, 2010 at 8:20am: Hey Julie - Thanks for the feedback! We regularly review packaging options and I will share this with the group. We’re always looking for ways to best package products balancing environment and shelf life. My first recommendation is almost always to reuse wherever possible. (The tubs are great for dry storage of food like rice and beans.) But as you've already gone that route, the tubs can be recycled.
Cheers,
Kelly