CABOT, Vt. (WCAX) – Cabot’s manufacturing line is getting a sustainable makeover.
Cabot has spent years researching more sustainable alternatives to its plastic packaging for the award winning cheese.
Its solution is the first of its kind in the nation.
It looks and tastes the same — but this isn’t a bar of just any old Cabot cheddar.
((Jason martin // Cabot
“it contains recycled content in the actual packaging itself.”))
the creamery just announced its transition to post-consumer recycled packaging for its 8-ounce cheese bars.
It’s made of 30% recycled materials — a shift from current plastic packaging.
((Jason martin // Cabot
“it’s ran great on our production lines, and provides that same look, feel that our customers are expecting from our brand.”))
in 2022 — Cabot used a nearly three hundred and twenty four thousand dollar grant from the northeast dairy business innovation center to kickstart the creation.
Partnering with tc transcontinental packaging — they tested compostable — fully recycled — and 30% recycled packaging.
The latter made the cut — achieving the same quality and cost consumers are used to.
((Jason martin // Cabot
“preserving freshness of the product and preserving the rate for which the product could run down the production line.”))
by the end of the year — all 8-ounce cheese bars will be wrapped in recycled packaging.
Cabot estimates it will save water during manufacturing — and reduce their carbon footprint by up to 25 percent.
The packaging is the latest in a line of recent updates at the creamery.
This spring — they added a mechanical box cutter and cheese slicer — more than doubling their output in cracker cut cheese slices.
((john Kendall // Cabot
“for me personally, it’s a very nice thing that employees get to interact with new, state of the art equipment that helps benefit the company and them.”))
new equipment can also boost safety — saving employees from lifting 80 pound blocks of cheese.
((john Kendall // Cabot
“safety is huge because it’s very hard to hire in Vermont, so the employees you have to keep them on the lines working.”))
as for the new packaging — Cabot officials say they’re excited to make their yellow a little more green.
((Jason martin // Cabot
“really feels great as a packager of products, to make sure that we’re delivering what the consumer wants from us.”))
Cabot says the new wrappers should be trashed just the same as standard plastic wrapping. They tell me they hope to eventually adopt recycleable or compostable packaging.