Canopy x Ben & Jerry's: Celebrating Forests on National Icecream Day

“What gives us the right to cut down trees, especially Ancient and Endangered ones?” – Justin Schmitt

Ben & Jerry’s have been shaking up the ice cream industry – in a good way – for over 45 years. In this scoop-tastic video, Ben & Jerry’s Global Packaging Manager, Justin Schmitt explains how the company continues to revolutionize the pint not only by limiting their use of plastic in packaging but also by working with Canopy to address the impact on forests of their paper packaging.

Currently, 3.1 billion trees go into the paper packaging supply chain every year, and much of that packaging is single-use. Justin sits down with Canopy’s Fibre Solutions Strategist, Valerie Langer, to discuss the importance of responsible sourcing, the need to conserve vital forests, and what the future of the food packaging sector holds. (Spoiler: it’s low-impact recycled or alternative fibre!)

Justin says that Canopy, through our Pack4Good initiative, shares valuable knowledge about forests, but also expertise in tech and fibre innovation that is helping Ben & Jerry's shift towards using recycled and alternative fibres to build a better pint (and shipping box, and tissue paper.)

The urgency of Canopy and Ben & Jerry’s work together is underscored by the alarming fact that 80% of the world's 'frontier forests'— or intact forests—are already lost. This video reminds us that while trees can be replanted and renewed, forest ecosystems cannot, and emphasizes the crucial role forests play as approximately 25-30% of the climate solution. 

We hope other companies will be inspired by Ben & Jerry’s journey, and work with Canopy to make the food sector kinder to forests.

Here’s to a scrumptious and cone-servation-conscious forest-friendly future.