The planet is always on our mind, making Earth Day every day. As part of the Lifeway Mission, we’re dedicated to creating products that are good for more than just you. We strive to be good for the environment and our communities, too.
Here are some ways that we celebrate green business practices and dedication to environmental sustainability every day.
Earth-Friendly Packaging and Best Practices
- We’ve switched our 8 oz. single serve and organic kefir bottles to a more environmentally friendly packaging called green polyethylene, a material that is made of sugarcane, a renewable resource. Green polyethylene is a thermoplastic resin, which means our organic bottles now use plant-based materials rather than petroleum-based. This transition helps us further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and still provide bottles that are safe, BPA-free, and recyclable!
- We also use biodegradable plastics and upcycled materials whenever possible, from serve-ware such as cups, spoons, straws. Our napkins at events are made from 100% recycled, unbleached paper.
- Lifeway ProBugs are made with post-consumer recycled content. The new caps contain 30% less plastic than the current cap.
- There are no PFAs in any of our food processing equipment or packaging at Lifeway.
- And of course, Lifeway products are always made non-GMO ingredients—no exceptions.
Environmental consciousness isn’t just about monitoring our waste; it’s also about being aware of what we produce, how we produce it, and how it will affect our community for years to come. Our products only contain natural ingredients that aren’t genetically modified. We’re always working with our suppliers and farmers to make sure we’re getting the best of the best. It’s simple: eating real food is better for you and for the earth.
Renewable Energy
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Since 2006 Lifeway Foods has procured 87,685 MWh of Green-e Certified RECs from Schneider Electric. The avoided GHG emissions associated with this initiative is 34,506 MTCO2e. According to the EPA, this action is equivalent to the carbon emissions avoided by not burning 191 railcars of coal or the electricity generated annually by 10.3 industrial scale wind turbines. The GHG emissions avoidance associated with the Lifeway Foods green power initiative is equal to the carbon sequestered by 570,568 tree seedlings grown for 10-years or 34,612 acres of U.S. forest annually.
Farming
- All of Lifeway products use milk from cows that have not been treated with any artificial hormones. That means no rBGH, no rBST, no rB anything – and no antibiotics, either. We also encourage all of our farmers and cooperatives who supply us with milk to support efforts that promote the enhanced welfare of cattle. After all, happy cows mean tasty kefir for you, too.
- We also offer USDA Organic certified products including our organic lowfat and whole milk kefir varieties in 32 ounce, 8 ounce, and 3.5 ounce bottles.
- Lifeway ProBugs kefir pouches for kids (and kids at heart!) are also certified organic.
Simple Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
- Blend up a celebratory Earth Day recipe! Try our Blueberry Cloud Smoothie, our Ocean Blue Smoothie Bowl, or our Ocean Swirl Smoothie.
- Start a home garden with simple herbs like basil and mint, along with easy-to-grow veggies such as cucumber, zucchini, tomato, and summer squash.
- Find a way to reuse common household products you already use, such as glass containers instead of plastic, or mason jars instead of plastic cups. This is an easy way to reduce your exposure to plastics and reduce the need to replace them year after year—they’ll last a lifetime!
- Cut the lights off when you leave a room, and open a window to let in fresh air instead of running the AC.
- Find a local recycling center here and start recycling this week.
- Use washable cloths instead of paper towels or napkins and use regular plates instead of paper plates. This will also reduce your household bill for simple throwaway purchases. It all adds up!
- Create a meatless meal for dinner. We have so many delicious meatless options to choose from here!
We hope you have a wonderful Earth Day and find your own ways to celebrate. If you need more inspiration, check out all our recipes here, and be sure to stay up to date with us on social media at Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Use the hashtag #LoveYourGuts and #LifewayLovesYourGuts to share your favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day with Lifeway products!