Preserve® Gimme 5 Program Breathes New Life into Everyday Items Made from Polypropylene #5 Plastics

5,000 pounds of plastic—equivalent to 2.9M yogurt cups—collected in 2009; program expands with new and returning partners, including Stonyfield Farm, Tom’s of Maine, Brita®, and Whole Foods Market®

Londonderry, NH—March 15, 2010—Preserve®, the leading recycled-products company, has announced the second year of its innovative Gimme 5 Program with new and returning partners: Stonyfield, natural personal-care leader Tom’s of Maine, natural and organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market, and water filtering company Brita and its FilterForGood campaign.

The program started in January 2009 and, in its first year, collected more than 45,000 pounds of materials, the equivalent of more than 2.9 million 6 oz. yogurt cups. This year, the program expects to collect three to four times that volume of #5 plastic, thanks to an expanded number of Gimme 5 drop-off locations at Whole Foods Market stores across the nation and even higher levels of participation at existing locations.

“This program reinforces the mantra ‘reduce, reuse, recycle,’” says Stonyfield President and CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg. “Most people want to do the right thing by the environment, and Gimme 5 makes that easier. We’re pleased to be a part of this great program.”

Consumers are encouraged to bring their #5 recyclables to select Whole Foods Market stores or mail their clean plastic directly to Preserve. The program makes life a little simpler for people who want to ‘do the right thing,’ and deal with their #5 recyclables, yet do not have access to facilities accepting these polypropylene #5 items.

“These strong, lightweight plastics are often redirected to landfills, but the Gimme 5 program ensures these recyclable materials find new life as Preserve products,” says Preserve Founder and CEO Eric Hudson.

Tom’s of Maine deodorant packaging, Stonyfield yogurt containers, used Brita  water pitcher filters, and a number of other products made from #5 plastic, including dairy and take-out containers, are transformed into performance-driven, stylish, and 100% recycled Preserve household products. The breadth of recycled products includes Preserve toothbrushes, razors, tableware, and the award-winning kitchen line.

The partnership between Preserve, Tom’s of Maine, Stonyfield, Brita, and Whole Foods Market reflects the five companies’ shared commitment to protecting the environment. It also empowers consumers with a simple and effective recycling program that cuts down on the use of virgin materials in products.

“Preserve receives dozens of calls, emails and online posts every day thanking us and our partners for making #5 recycling possible,” says Hudson. “We’re pleased to offer this solution and to show people the power of their recycling efforts. We turn items such as yogurt cups, take-out containers and water filters into new Preserve products—and we do it all here in the United States. It’s proof of the power of reusing resources in smart and creative ways.”

“Through Gimme 5, our deodorant customers will be able to participate in a recycling movement that takes their old deodorant packaging and creates useful and beautiful products by Preserve,” says Fiona Russell of Tom’s of Maine. “Our natural personal-care products are healthy for people and healthy for the planet. By finding a recycling stream for our #5 plastic packaging, Tom’s of Maine and its customers are collectively lessening the waste burden on landfills and our overall carbon footprint.”

“Using a Brita pitcher and reusable bottle instead of drinking bottled water is a simple step people can take to reduce their impact on the environment,” said Jennifer Brown of Brita. “Brita’s participation in the Gimme 5 program helps people take another green step by recycling their filter and turning it into something they can use again and again.”

“Gimme 5 fits perfectly into our mission of caring about our communities and the environment,” said Errol Schweizer, Whole Foods Market Global Grocery Coordinator. “We welcome this partnership and thank our shoppers and Team Members for such a successful year of recycling.”

The Preserve Gimme 5 program is currently available in over 200 Whole Foods Market stores in the United States. For a complete list, visit www.preserveproducts.com.

Common #5 plastics include packaging for yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, margarine, and some hummus containers; some plastic ice cream containers; and food storage and take-out containers. The number 5 should be plainly marked on the bottom of the container.

Additionally, the Preserve Gimme 5 program accepts Brita® water pitcher filters for recycling. Brita® pitcher filters can be deposited in Gimme 5 bins along with other #5 plastic. Instructions for drying and submitting these filters can be found at www.preserveproducts.com.

To learn more, visit www.preserveproducts.com.

About Stonyfield Farm

Stonyfield Farm, celebrating its 27th year, is the world’s leading organic yogurt company. Its all natural and certified organic yogurt, smoothies, milk, cultured soy, frozen yogurt and ice cream are distributed nationally. The company advocates that healthy food can only come from a healthy planet. Its use of organic ingredients helps keep over 180,000 farm acres free of toxic, persistent pesticides and chemical fertilizers known to contaminate soil, drinking water and food. To help reduce climate change, Stonyfield offsets all of the CO₂ emissions generated from its facility energy use. The company also started a nonprofit called Climate Counts (climatecounts.org), which shows people how they can help fight climate change by the way they shop and invest. Stonyfield also donates 10% of its profits to efforts that help protect and restore the Earth. For more information about Stonyfield Farm, its products and initiatives, visit www.stonyfield.com.