WEEK 35: MILK

Skip the plastic, BUY in glass/local or plant-based alternatives

Published in

52 Plastic Kisses

3 min readNov 27, 2018

Tea, coffee, cheese, butter, ghee, paneer, yogurt, desserts are few of the top consumed foods and have something in common. Lactose intolerance, Cholesterol, Acne.

And Milk. Hence, sustainability from source (usually cows) to packaging (plastic or cardboard) is essential. Opt for:

1. glass containers (same cost as other options as $$ is refunded on returning the glass container)

…costs more? NO. You pay the same as organic milk!

If you pay $3.39 for that glass bottle, you can get $2 back when you return it. So you pay $1.39 essentially for the same amount of organic milk as in plastic! Also, milk is put into hot plastic containers, which is harmful for those who eventually consume it. So opt for bottles if you can.

2. buy locally from well known sources who treat cows well and deliver door-to-door in steel containers.

Like the good old days, find local farmers nearby in India or premium milking companies. (Keventers, Binsar Farms, O’Leche, Pride of Cows, Vrindawan Milk, Akshayakalpa, Astra Dairy Farms and Puremilk in India). Not sure how well they treat their cows, but it is better than the rest. Boil this milk well as it may not be well pasturized

3. opt for vegan plant-based milk (almond, oat, soy, hemp, rice, coconut, cashew, walnut, pistachio and rice milk). Why? Because of this. Recycle cardboard/plastic containers or make it at home.

SUMMARY

Yes..it seems like plastic is easier, cheaper and environmentally sustainable to transport, but according to a study released in 2010 by the U.K. environmental organization WRAP (PDF), extraction of raw materials and manufacturing consume, by far, the most energy in the life of a milk container. Reusing or recycling is our best choice right now.

For a more healthier and sustainable options: consider giving up cow milk for PLANT-BASED alternatives.

Source 1: What container is sustainable? https://slate.com/technology/2011/03/should-i-buy-milk-in-glass-plastic-or-cardboard-containers.html

Source 2: Even the state of the art farms don’t treat cows well. https://modernfarmer.com/2014/03/real-talk-milk/

Thanks,
Meghna