Benefits of Drinking Local Milk – Are Glass Bottles Better?

This month’s plastic-free focus is on milk, and milk alternatives. Among the different strategies to reduce plastics with milk, one of the best ways is to use milk that comes in glass bottles. From my experience, I’ve only been able to find milk in glass bottles that are from local milk producers. And that’s what brings us to the topic of drinking local milk and its benefits.

If you want more detail about how to go plastic-free with milk, please check out my previous article. That’s where I also cover plastic-free options for those with lactose intolerance or sensitivity.

Now, I want to be clear because I’ve noticed a lot of people are looking up raw milk when they are searching for local milk. This article IS NOT going to cover anything about raw milk. I just want to cover the benefits of drinking local milk from a general perspective.

Also, I’m going with the definition of a local dairy being a dairy/farm that provides their milk directly to the consumer. No third parties involved. There are some dairy cooperatives in our area as well as direct providers. But the topic of milk is pretty broad to begin with so I’m just going to keep things simple for now.

What to expect in this article –

Not all local dairies are the same

Please keep in mind that each independent dairy is going to have different practices and policies. In fact, in writing this article, I found it surprising just how much variety there is among the local dairies. Which ones are best depends on what’s important to you.

For example, many of the local dairies in the NoCo area have the farm pick-up option for their milks. But there are only 2 that offer home delivery. Some dairies offer raw milk and some offer pasteurized. Some offer low-temperature pasteurization instead. Then there are some that use different milking methods for their cows, that’s just to name a few of the differences.

Why I’ll focus on dairies with home delivery

I’m going to be focusing more on the home delivery dairies because they offer that cross between being sustainable and convenient. I always appreciate these types of options because they usually result in more consistent habits for me. Plus, I think it is important for people to know that there are options to living more plastic-free without adding yet another errand to run.

With that being said…

What are some of the environmental and sustainable benefits of drinking local milk?

Benefit #1 – Drinking local milk in glass bottles instead of plastic

One benefit that we’ve already touched on is the use of glass bottles. These bottles are collected and reused over and over by the dairy. This cuts down not only on plastic waste but also decreases the amount of contact the milk has with plastic containers. (Check out this article about Microplastics in milk).

Local dairies like Morning Fresh also use silicone and stainless steel equipment to prevent their milk from coming into contact with phthalates.

Now I should state that not all local dairies use glass bottles with several opting for plastic instead. This is most likely due to the logistical challenges that come with glass. Glass bottles also require a collection system for the empties and additional sanitizing equipment. So I don’t want anyone to assume that milk will be in glass containers just because a dairy is local. It’s just that they are more likely to use glass bottles, especially the home delivery dairies.

Benefit #2 – Drinking local milk promotes better cow care

One consistency of the local independent dairies is that they practice better care and stewardship of their herds. Particularly when it comes to pasture access and barn facilities. And none of the local dairies I looked into use any growth hormone.

I’ve included the links to Morning Fresh Dairy so you can see an example of an independent dairy’s practices and policies. I also recommend reading their facts section because they explain a lot of things related to the organic milk industry here in CO.

Again, they are just an example of one of the many independent milk producers here in Colorado. All the independent dairies have their own practices and policies and I am not intending Morning Fresh to be representative of all of them, just an example of one of them.

Benefit #3 – It supports local economy several times over

Not only is buying local milk supporting the local economy, you’re also supporting a local food producer! Local food producers play a huge role in creating sustainable communities. And its more important than ever for communities to be self-sustaining in these current times.

Several of the local dairies I researched grow their own feed for their cattle and/or source feed locally. This local sourcing contributes back to the local food production and economy. It also cuts down on transportation emissions.

Some of the dairies even use the spent grains from local breweries. And some like Longmont Dairy have recycling and fundraising programs. Which is yet another way local dairies support the local economy while being more eco-friendly.

Conclusion to drinking local milk

While there are many differences between the local milk producers, they were all consistent when it came to the above mentioned benefits. But these were just generalizations from all the dairies I looked into. Depending on the specific dairy, there are even more benefits from drinking local milk.

There are many factors for the environmental, health, or community benefits of local dairies that need to be considered. Factors such as, farming practices, milk processing, and community involvement. But you won’t know for sure what the specific impacts are unless you check out what’s available in your area.

So in short, if you want to decrease your plastic dependency with milk, try buying from a local milk producer who uses glass containers.