the harmful impact of yoghurt pots on the environment

Each French person consumes more than 170 pots of yoghurt per year, with a preference for individual plastic packaging. However, these small containers can have a long-term impact on the environment, because they are mostly made with aluminum, paper and polystyrene, which is particularly complex to recycle. These pots are often burned or buried, and are often found in the seas or oceans.

Cheaper jars

To limit their production, manufacturers are developing recycling channels, an approach that is insufficient, however. For the manufacturers, it would be necessary to choose other materials, but they raise the question of purchasing power. Some jars are made of glass or cardboard, “but these products are rather reserved for a premium range”, notes Muriel Case, general delegate of Syndifrais. “Today, the average price of a yoghurt in plastic packaging is 23 cents. A premium price will be much higher, therefore less accessible”, she adds. Every year, 60,000 tonnes of yoghurt pots arrive on the French market.