Rarely in our western culture do we take a pause and consider daily choices about how we consume natural resources. Consumption is not usually a yes or no question, but often a matter of degrees.
We recently changed from packaging our Yumm! Sauce in 8 oz. glass jars to 6 oz. plastic tubs. Since then, some of you have called, emailed and tweeted with questions and concerns about this new packaging. I want to take this opportunity to share with you our decision-making process and also invite your feedback on where we go from here with the packaging.
I am not an expert in any of the very complex areas discussed in this post, but I do research and put considerable thought into every business decision. I realize that every decision has an impact on our relationship with our customers. Along with these decisions comes the responsibility of the outcome. Sometimes the decisions prove valuable and, well, sometimes they don’t go as planned.
Our purpose here is to engage our customers in a broader discussion about our options for and the decisions we made about our new Yumm! Sauce packaging. We consider Café Yumm! a collaboration with our customers. Our past, present and future relies on you and we know that.
I recognize that the plastic tub is not ideal for many reasons. Plastic is not as aesthetically appealing as a glass jar. The seal on the top is too thin and shreds when removed and the grooves on the tub make it difficult to get all the Yumm! Sauce out. We’ve also heard from you, our customers, that the paperboard sleeve creates excess packaging. We hear you.
With that backdrop, I want to share some insights about how we came to the decision to change our packaging and invite your feedback about what our next steps might be. This is a long post, so I hope you’ll read through and take a moment to let us know what you think.
A core philosophy in our business is what has become known as the “Triple Bottom Line.” We consider the balance of the three areas of social, environmental, and economic interests in making business decisions. Long before it had a name, this balance has been part of our business from the very beginning.
Our adherence to this philosophy illuminated four core points as we made the decision about packaging:
Plastic vs. glass: This is a complicated issue that must take into account the source of the material and the way it’s manufactured. Both plastic and glass consume non-renewable resources. Unfortunately, most glass (which is 100% recyclable) and most plastic (even recyclable plastic) is not recycled.
Glass is heavy, which increases fuel use considerably in the life cycle of the product, and also increases the release of a great deal of greenhouse gases in the process. Making glass is toxic and consumes a great deal of fossil fuels. This video from Metacafe shows the glass manufacturing process. Glass can be reused and recycled, but does not come from a renewable resource.
We decided to move to a #1 PETE recyclable plastic. The plastic tubs are 100% recyclable. If you’ve seen the plastic tubs, you might notice there’s no recycle number. The manufacturer of this product made a mistake and did not put the recycle number on the container. Rather than dispose of the inventory we’d already purchased, we decided it was better to use it. Even without the number, you can recycle your Yumm! Sauce tubs.
We also recognize the concerns some people have about plastic food containers and specifically the myth that plastics contain dioxins. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, plastics do not contain dioxins. The #1 PETE plastic also does not contain BPAs. I am totally confident that the #1 PETE recyclable plastic that we chose for our Yumm! Sauce is safe for you and your family.
Lightweighting: The importance of the energy cost, use of fossil fuels, generation of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and the overall environmental impact of the transportation of products cannot be overemphasized. As a result, lightweighting has become an area of increasing interest of many industries. This was a key concern in our packaging plans.
Weight comparison of the jar vs. the plastic package:
Empty jar weight with lid = 6.90 oz.
Empty PET tub = 0.45 oz.
You can see from these numbers that the glass jar is considerably heavier that the PETE tub, in fact 15 times heavier.
The reason I point this out is to emphasize its importance in the overall environmental impact of this choice. Lightweighting assessment is based on the entire distribution life of the product from raw materials to the end of its useful life. I recently watched a webinar on this topic. The first of two presenters talks about consumer opinions and trends around sustainability. The second is an environmental scientist who discusses farms, restaurants, food waste and lightweighting. If you’re interested, you can watch it here (download required).
Local Suppliers: Over the past decade or so the cost of glass has steadily risen. As a result, much of its manufacturing has been outsourced to other countries to lower manufacturing costs. In reviewing our packaging options, I found that the jar we were using is manufactured in China, whereas the manufacturer of the plastic tub is located in Portland, Oregon.
The paperboard sleeve, too, is printed locally and made from 100% post consumer waste and printed with soy ink. The material used to make the sleeves has already been around the block at least once and, if recycled, will be used again and again.
Cost and Pricing: Finally we had to take into account cost, both for Cafe Yumm! and for our customers. In 2007 and 2008 costs soared on many products and ingredients, including two key ingredients in our Yumm! Sauce. As a result, the cost of our sauce increased substantially.
Did you know, for example, that in 2008 there was a worldwide shortage of lemon juice (one of the ingredients in our sauce)? And the recent increased demand for almonds (another Yumm! Sauce ingredient) has resulted in dramatic price increases. Despite these factors, we have kept the sauce price at $3.85 for the 8-ounce jar in our restaurants.
But this pricing was not sustainable. To remain viable and be able to continue to retail our sauce, we had to make a tough decision. Should we keep the price the same and offer slightly less product or do we increase the price considerably? We felt that it was important to keep the cost below the $4.00 mark in our restaurants, so we began to research packaging alternatives.
Moving to the plastic tub and paperboard sleeve has allowed us to lower our price in our restaurants from $3.85 to $3.50, albeit in a smaller size container. We do know that many of you buy Yumm! Sauce at grocery stores. However, by law, we cannot control the price that grocery stores charge for a product.
I hope this sheds some light on the decision making process. However, we recognize that the plastic tub is not ideal and we are seeking alternatives. Some ideas:
- Go back to the glass jars in the restaurants only.
- Return to glass jars across the board, in restaurants and in retail and increase the price.
- Redesign the plastic tub with smooth sides and a higher quality seal.
- Employ some combination of these options.
Our goal is to continually improve in every aspect of our business. Ultimately, we do not set the direction, our customers do. Your buying decisions and your feedback helps guide our business. Whether it’s a quick message on Twitter, a comment card in the store, or a voicemail to our company headquarters, your feedback is valued and we always appreciate the thoughtfulness and the time it takes you.
We invite your feedback. Let us know what you’d like to see. You can leave a comment here or participate in the discussion on our Facebook page.
- Mark Beauchamp, President and Co-Founder
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@leafly Erika, we put the info about packaging up on our blog. Feedback is welcome: http://bit.ly/w1nWl
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
We recently changed our packaging for Yumm! Sauce. We’d like to tell you a little about why & ask for your feedback: http://bit.ly/w1nWl
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Whole Foods is charging $5.89 for 6 oz plastic. I think you need to come down on them! The plastic containers (which I can’t afford), but did buy once, trap the Yumm sauce and it spoils/looks horrible. If the product lasts as long as you claim, I would suggest larger packaging which should reduce costs all around. I liked the glass. Yumm sauce just doesn’t work in the containers you are using – not user friendly. I’ll wait to see if your prices are adjusted – but currently, it’s not affordable. I’ve been a loyal customer for years. However, we don’t have a restaurant near us, so I’m forced to pay Whole Foods or New Season’s prices I suppose.
I appreciate your attention and dedication to finding a solution.
I bought a tub of the sauce two weeks ago from one of your restaurants and it’s still good and in my fridge. I did notice/experience some difficulty getting the sauce out of the tub, and the thin plastic seal under the lid was hard to tear off. The lid itself doesn’t seem to seal very tightly on the tub either. I think a redesign of the tub could really help, with an emphasis on an improved lid/tub seal and smoother bottoms/sides.
As always, I appreciate Cafe Yumm!’s dedication to providing quality and healthy products to our community.
Talking transparency: @CafeYumm’s Mark Beauchamp responds to consumers re: Yumm! Sauce packaging http://bit.ly/pIApE
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
I’m not a plastic fan, but I totally get your reasons for switching from glass. Maybe in your cafes that sell a lot of sauce you could try a bulk system of some sort, so that folks could bring in their own container. I’d bring that same little jar back over and over again.
~Melanie
okay. cool . i understand why you’ve switched packaging. lightweight, recyclable, and safe, and less cost effective. all is good and well.
but my only opinion to reamain, is is you could maybe possibly get rid of the grooves so i get all my yumm sauce (i am very aware of how addicted i sound but what are you gonna do. . .), and possibly in a bigger plastic container. i would accept a higher price for more yumm sauce as well because i would like to feed my whole family on one tub, and six ounces just doesn’t cut it.
thank you for explaining everything. good luck and ill be loyal forever!!
Kathy, thanks for taking the time to respond. Unfortunately, we don’t (and can’t) control the prices that Whole Foods charges for the product. We do have a list of other grocery stores that carry Yumm! Sauce and might provide a better option for you: http://cafeyumm.com/shop.html
We’re looking at the ridged plastic tubs with a redesign and we appreciate that feedback.
- Mark
Leah,
Thanks for such detail with your reply, that helps as we consider the tub redesign. We’re committed to our respective communities as we grow, and to all our customers. We’re confident we can find a good solutions that works for everyone. Thanks!
– Mark
Melanie,
Now that’s an interesting idea! Thanks for stopping by to comment and let us know what you think.
– Mark
Brittany,
Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it. Removing the ridges on the tubs is definitely part of what we’re considering. We also sell liter size containers in the restaurants, which I’m sure you’ve seen. The liters may be a better value for family dinners and as long as you refrigerate properly will last a while, too, so you can get lots of Yumm!
– Mark
Great explanation of the decision making that went into the new packaging. I definitely vote for “Redesign the plastic tub with smooth sides and a higher quality seal.” Thanks!
Thanks for the detailed explanation of glass vs. plastic. Perhaps you could get in touch with the folks at the Springfield Creamery ( but you have probably already done that, as you are so thoroughly engaged in solving the packaging problems). They seem to have solved the problem of difficulty in removing the seal from the package.
Also your rationale regarding pricing represents a skilled business sense.
Thank you for your response to my concerns regarding the new Yumm! sauce packaging. I would like to suggest that you consider redesigning the plastic tub so that it is compatible with most recycling guidelines in Oregon. Numbers 1,2,3,4,5 and 7 are recyclable, however what matters most in commingled recycling is SIZE and SHAPE. A small 6 oz. yogurt container is the smallest item that can be placed in a curbside bin. The current Yumm container is too flat and therefore not recyclable.
I really like the idea of being able to bring in a jar to be filled from a bulk system. If a lot of people would do that it would solve a lot of problems.
Thank you for explaining and providing a way to give feedback!
Now I understand your decision on why you switched to the plastic carton. I may have accepted it better if it hadn’t also meant a smaller container. I enjoy the sauce so much, and like to make a home made version of Yumm! bowls. I used to buy a jar and transfer it to a squirty bottle. I LOVE the suggestion of offering it in bulk at the restaurants, and letting people bring their own container. And just FYI, I do reuse the glass jars over and over. Now this is my personal opinion, but the glass jar is far more aesthetically pleasing.
To the Yumm that Be,
I just wanted you to know that, with a final defeating roar of frustration, I finished my third container of Yumm sauce… and I wanted you to know that there will not, unless and until your product’s packaging changes, a fourth purchase (by me anyway) of your product because this new, greener packaging is beyond my level of tolerance!
I never bought your product in a glass container but what you say about shipping costs does make sence (cents).
And you do have a great product.
But I have to ask myself if you truly believe what you are asking me to accept… less product in a different package is all in the best interest of our planet.
In other words, if the changes in your product’s packaging is really so great for my environment than why do you need a blog to convince me of this?
Sorry, but home cooking is even greener than your packaging.
I do concede preparing meals from scratch is less convenient, but I believe I can approximate, if not reproduce, your sauce in my own kitchen… minus the surge of frustration I find built into your packaging.
Yup, I fully understand the need to adjust for rising cost… an 8 oz glass jar that sold for around $3 compared to today, at two ounces less, a poorly designed plastic container with a cost of around $4.30 is a great example of rising costs!
But wait… you say, the packaging is green… so much better… don’t worry that you can only extract 5 oz from the container…and 1 oz goes to waste… the container is ggggrrrrreeeeeen!
Yes, it’s green but if its not useable and economically feasible (for the consumer as well as the retailer) you have lost touch with what stands behind “being green”… sustainability!
What is the price point for your sauce? What will your market of loyal customers pay (and believe) in order for you to hold onto their business?
I’ve read your blog, a couple of old web sites and your dedicated fans’ posts… but I can’t help asking myself what really lies behind your green marketing campaign and between the lines of this blog.
I have to, as a responsible consumer, ask myself if your change in packaging is less about preserving my world and more about preserving your profit margin by saving your company shipping and storage costs.
And, I am sorry to say that, regardless of how “green” your new packaging… it is, by your own admission, far from great. And, I do believe, great and green can coexist in one package! DO YOU?
If you are unwilling to put your company behind the belief that green really is better, than you just may force me, along with others, to practice the first r in the green mantra… REDUCE, reuse, and recycle.
What I ask is this. Are you willing, as a company, to accept the real challenge to improving the environment? That is, can you make green more than a marketing slogan by implementing a change that we ALL can live with?
I hold my breath (and my dollars) in hopes that your answer is yes.
Yumm-fully and respectfully,
r_cheri@hotmail.com
I appreciate the courtesy with which I was treated today when talking to Trish at your office in Eugene. I had just opened a yum bowl and could not continue not saying anything about the downgrade in design.
I find the inverted bowl shape on the bottom of the container to be misleading about perceived amount of sauce in the container. Also, not only is there less sauce, but much more gets wasted stuck to the top of the thin plastic seal and between the crevices of the container. It is a dissatisfying experience from beginning to end.
Having a family, the 8 oz. worked great. I could use it for a couple of dinners. This amount, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to stretch much at all beyond one meal. I do not want to buy a liter at a time either.
If you could work out a way to sell it in bulk and people bring in their own containers- Bravo. If not, look at how pesto is sold in the stores. These little containers work great.
Please expedite your change.
Thanks.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your dedication to this topic. Your restaurant and the sauce are by far one of mine and my peers favorites and hope to keep it that way.
I would like to side with Melanie’s comment about a bulk system in the stores or even some way to supply bulk dispensaries at some distributors or health stores (though I don’t know if it would keep in bulk).
I also liked purchasing the larger, ketchup bottle style containers in the store so I hope you keep those available. I now understand many of your challenges with distributors but hope you can continue to offer more options in the stores.
Thanks!
Derek
Well,
I have been eating Yumm since there was only one cafe in Eugene. When you started selling jars of the sauce in grocery stores that were closer to my house, I was beside myself with glee. I gritted my teeth and purchased though the price was considerably more than I would have paid in the cafe. While I would have appreciated a smaller price, I understood that glass jars were not the least expensive packaging method, so I accepted the compromise. I thought the 8oz jars were a fair size, as they would typically work out for two large meals.
I visited the local Market of Choice tonight to pick up a jar of Yumm sauce for my dinner this evening, and found that the familiar jars of the stuff had been exchanged for flashy boxes. At first I was hopeful; the boxes appeared to be considerably bigger than the jars they replaced. When I read the net weight on the bottom of the package, my hopes waned. I thought to myself, “Didn’t the old jars hold more than 6oz?” When I glanced at the price, I could have doubled over in shock. $4.39 is a small price in comparison to the more than $5 paid by others on this blog, but still far greater than I was accustomed to paying for the jars. I bit the bullet and completed my purchase, even though the amount of sauce dropped by more than 25% and I was paying more than 15% extra for a package of the same product. In other words, I used to pay less than $.49 per ounce, and now the cost has soared to more than $.73 per ounce! That is a 49% increase in price!!! I’m sorry, but I don’t care how nice your packaging looks, that is absurd. If your goal is to alienate your customer base, good job. I am afraid that until your package increases in size without an increase in price, I will no longer purchase your product from stores. It’s good, but not that good.
Sincerely,
Chris
Chris,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I want you to know that we are working on improving various aspects of the new Yumm! Sauce packaging. Returning to the jar is one option. We have had several customers upset about the increase in price. In our restaurants we actually dropped the price from the jar price of $3.85 to the new package price of $3.50, while grocery stores raised their prices from what they had been in the jar. In the past, I was shocked to see the jar priced at $5.99 in one grocery store in Oregon. In Washington, one grocery chain now charges $5.49 for the new package – Yikes! By Federal law we have no control over grocery store prices. This price raise is a real conundrum for us. We are considering having the jars available once again in our restaurants. My concern is that if we go back to the jar for retail distribution, the grocery stores will raise the price even more.
I just want to let you know that your feedback is very important to us and that we’re working on improvements.
Mark
I would love to see a return to jars; maybe raise the price if necessary; also, I would think a bulk/refillable situation would benefit everyone!!!
Glad to know you are listening and working on it!!
PLEASE don’t change the recipe!!! :}
Glad to see others have the same issues as myself. LOVE the Yum sauce but here in Portland the so called health food stores are ripping us off. Maybe we should get together and send someone to you and buy in bulk. Do you have larger containers in Eugene?????? When are you opening a store here, soon I hope. Keep up the good work.
I have no comment about the price of your product. I’m pretty addicted and I’ll continue to buy it. But, I HATE your new packaging. First, it took me forever to find it in the store. It was in the same old place, but I was looking for that jar. OK, so the packaging changed. For whatever reason, businesses are always making what appears to be unnecessary changes. I’m used to that.
As a dedicated recycler, I prefer glass because it will absolutely be recycled. Plastic, despite my best intentions, often can’t be recycled. Still, I’ll collect my old plastic containers and use them as tupperware. Yep, hippy tupperware. The real thing won’t be found in our house, but there’s a drawer full of old Nancy’s containers (not preferred because they are now opaque) and Emerald Valley containers.
I just don’t understand why, if you are moving to plastic, why you don’t use the kind of tubs those companies use. At least they have a potential after life and the product is easy to get out without wasting a bunch of it.
I echo the general tone of most of the comments to this point. I do not appreciate the new packaging.
Perhaps most irritating is the plastic safety seal. I wonder what product testing was done before distribution? It has yet peel away from the container smoothly. Instead it pulls away in strips and shreds causing a loss of product as well as a mess. The mess is the biggest issue…bigger than the cost, bigger than the over packaging.
I also find the cardboard carriage, 1. Wasteful and 2. Deceiving. Is it really necessary?
I’m also concerned about the decreased volume and increased cost. Unfortunate but I understand the high-cost of ingrediant.
I won’t reuse the plastic container opting for glass instead. I believe this is a trend that is increasing regardless of the research (fact or fiction) regarding plastic and toxins.
All that said (re-said) I do honor your willingness to post this blog and air your perspective. I also think the options you have on the table are good and I encourage swift and bold action,
* Go back to the glass jars in the restaurants only. (GREAT IDEA! DO THIS IMMEDIATELY)
* Return to glass jars across the board, in restaurants and in retail and increase the price. (YES, POSSIBLY)
* Redesign the plastic tub with smooth sides and a higher quality seal. (MANDATORY IF YOU ARE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH PLASTIC. DO THIS FIRST AND DO IT NOW. THIS SHOULD BE RESOLVED ASAP REGARDLESS OF FUTURE DECISIONS AND DIRECTIONS. YOU’VE GOT A POOR QUALITY CONTAINER THAT DOESN’T ADHERE TO THE HIGH-QUALITY OF YOUR PRODUCT OR BRAND. THERE IS NO REASON TO DELAY IN FIXING THIS ISSUE)
* Employ some combination of these options. (EMPLOY #3 NOW. ADDRESS THE OTHERS OVER TIME).
I’m a bit late to this discussion but was so glad to see this post and your openness to feedback. I agree with many that the new packaging isn’t working for those of us who are loyal to the product and I’ve found myself making trips to a nearby city to buy the larger bottles at the restaurant as I feel so ripped off by the food stores inflated price for so much less product(particularly given the complications with the packaging and all). I do appreciate the clarification that it was not your company who raised the price, but the stores, as that was surprising to me at the time I first saw it. I also appreciate the work you put in to a greener packaging system, but for me anyway, it’s meant car trips instead of walking to the local store and tossing the packaging immediately (albeit into the recycling) rather than reusing the jars. Even though it’s greener and more local, it’s felt much more wasteful. I would love to see the glass jars return, even if it means paying a bit more but look forward to seeing what changes y’all come up with. Thanks again for soliciting feedback.
I LOVE YUMM!!!
I hate the plastic container, not because it’s plastic,
because I’m forced to use my finger to get the last part of yumm out.
My grand children think it’s sick, grandma is licking her fingers.
I did re-use the jars.
Come on you can find something better than the plastic with ridges.
Thanks for the GREAT sauce!!
Laura
I only wish that the liters of sauce were sold in stores… I’m fine going to Cafe Yumm for it, but it would be nice to be able to buy it using food stamps.
I’ve only gotten the sauce in the new packages a couple of times, as I prefer to invest in the liter bottle. I support all your reasons for changing. It would be nice, though, if the cardboard were eliminated. The information could be printed on the plastic, à la Emerald Valley salsa and hummus.
As for getting all of the sauce out of these containers… I thought a small spatula worked just fine. Maybe you can’t scrape out every last subatomic particle, but that is just the nature of sauce. Just do the best you can, and try not to stress out about it. It’ll be okay.
-Stephan
I also think the plastic container is deceiving — looks big, but because of the raised dome shaped bottom, it actually contains very little Yumm sauce. Why not just make the entire plastic container smaller, decreasing the size of the container and thus decreasing the amount of overall waste when the plastic tub is thrown out?
Found this a little bit late in the game, but wanted to add my two cents. I used to live in Eugene where I became addicted to Yumm Sauce..but now I live in Portland. I am no longer buying the sauce since the new containers came out, for many of the reasons already discussed above. And I used to buy it every week! I am now making my own version as it is much cheaper. If they ever switch back to glass jars or better packaging, I might buy it again. But it seems like this new plastic has chased a lot of customers away..very sad but now I know how to make my own!! Any update on a better container coming up soon?? Cheers!
awful lid. i spent 15 minutes this morning cleaning up a major yumm sauce spill out of the bottom of my backpack. yes, the container was open and i didn’t take extra measures to secure the lid (like hooks, rubberbands, clamps or switching to a better container), but it still bumms me out. the glass never leaked, you could get every drop, and you were a great source for reusable containers in my spice cupboard. the plastic lid is a dumm idea.
I posted a comment on FB a while back, but feel inclined to speak again out of my continued frustration. The packaging is horrid. I concur with everyone’s complaints. The bottom sticking up, the sides and the top all make it a nightmare to get the delicious sauce out!!! If you have to go with plastic (albeit you need to make a profit), then make it an 8 oz size, no ridges on the sides and no sticking up on the bottom! Thicker cover and voila! “Everyone” would be happy.
I’ve been looking for a place to comment on the change in container.
To be blunt: I hate the new containers, for the reasons you’ve listed–the plastic seal comes apart, the walls are bumpy (making it nigh-impossible to get it all out–a huge disadvantage in an item that is already a financial splurge). It’s also not very re-usable, and members of my household often reuse glass jars.
I understand your reasoning, but I still think it sucks. I do buy it less than I used to.