Animal lovers asking Yoplait to change yogurt cup shape

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The flexible lip and conical shape of Yoplait yogurt cups is causing squirrels and other small animals to get their heads stuck. This has been a potentially problem for decades, and in 1998 Yoplait added a message to its containers advising yogurt eaters to “Protect Wildlife. Crush cup before disposal.”

There is currently a petition and campaign to boycott Yoplait until they change the design of their yogurt cup. General Mills, the marketer of Yoplait in the United States, wouldn’t say if there are plans or discussions to change the design, but stressed the company’s “crush the cup” advice.

“Because wildlife will try to eat from containers of all shapes and sizes, we do urge consumers to crush containers before disposal,” General Mills brand media manager Mike Siemienas said in a statement. “We also encourage consumers to dispose of all containers properly. We print the message ‘protect wildlife, crush before disposal’ on our cup for that reason.”

Yoplait guidelines on responsible packaging disposal

Rinse and recycle: Rinse all recyclable glass and plastic containers to remove any food remnants or odors. Even containers you're going to throw away should be thoroughly rinsed before disposal to avoid attracting wildlife to your trash.

Cut and crush: Plastic containers should be cut and/or crushed before you put them in your garbage or recycling bin.

Close and cover: Make sure plastic food wrap is rinsed and contained inside a closed garage bag.  Never throw plastic packaging in open trashcans.  Put garbage out for collection in plastic or metal trash containers with secure covers.