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Organic dairy award



News from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research &
Education Program


California Family's Organic Dairy Cited in Waste Reduction Awards Program

A member of the UC Davis-based statewide Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education Program (SAREP) public advisory committee and his family's
dairy have been named winners in a waste reduction awards program. The
California Integrated Waste Management Board named the Straus Family
Creamery of Marin County, including SAREP committee member Michael Straus, a
winner in its 1996 Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP).  WRAP promotes
public recognition of businesses that have made outstanding efforts to
reduce and divert waste from landfills. 

Straus, the creamery's marketing director, says the award recognizes the
firm's use of reusable glass bottles, which keeps cartons out of land-fills,
as well as its water conservation efforts. "Each bottle is made of 40-50
percent recycled glass and is used an average of ten times," Straus said.
"This makes our packing costs cheaper than one-way disposable cartons and at
the same time there is less impact on the environment."  

The creamery's bottle washing equipment was redesigned to use 90 percent
less water; that water is also reclaimed to wash floors.  Waste water is
treated in containment ponds and is later used to irrigate pasture land.
The family also only uses recyclable #2 plastic containers for yogurt, and
promotes the philosophy of primary waste reduction by avoiding generating
single-serving packages.

The Straus family operates the first certified organic dairy and creamery in
California.  Now in his second year of a three-year term as a member of
SAREP's public advisory committee, Michael Straus provides input on SAREP
goals and plans, and on the award of competitive grants.  

_______________________________________________
Lyra Halprin, Public Information Officer
University of California Sustainable Agriculture 
Research & Education Program (UC SAREP)
Davis, CA 95616
Voice: (916) 752-8664
FAX: (916) 754-8550
lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
Award Winning Web Site: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu