Every month I try to cut down on single-use plastics by focusing on one specific challenge category. This month’s focus is going to be on milk and plant-based milks.
I like to do a month long challenge because it allows time to develop and try different strategies. My goal is to not only create habits that are more sustainable for the planet but for myself as well. Check out the different strategies below to see if any of them would be a good fit for you.
Why focus on milk to reduce single-use plastics?
When you break down the milk category to milk, milk derivatives, and nondairy milks, there’s actually several options for reducing plastic. Some options depend on what’s available in your area, what your lactose tolerance is, and how much time you can spend on going plastic-free.
The more I learn about plastics leaching chemicals into food, the less inclined I am to put any liquid foods in plastic. Not to mention the sheer amount and prevalence of plastic pollution in the environment. So, as consumers it’s important for us to reduce our dependency on single-use plastics when possible, so that we don’t just keep adding to the problem.
Also, micro-plastics can be found in milk regardless of the packaging type, it’s just in varying amounts.
How to cut down on single use-plastics with milk
Strategy #1: Milk in glass jars
There are actually 2 local dairies here in Northern Colorado that sell milk in glass jars. They even do home deliveries! And for those who don’t meet the delivery criteria (like me), there are still plastic-free options. Some grocery stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods carry milk in glass bottles. Food co-ops are also another good place to look for local milk. Why look for local milk? Local dairies are more likely to have milk in glass bottles because of the process involved to use and reuse glass bottles.
A few things to know about milk in glass bottles
From my experience, glass bottled milk doesn’t have quite the shelf life of the plastic bottles; maybe about 2 weeks max. Also, the glass bottles can be a bit more expensive, but that’s because you’re paying a bottle deposit. Most places, when you bring back the bottle (thoroughly rinsed) you’ll get the bottle deposit back. Some dairies even take the plastic bottle caps back to be recycled. Thus reducing the plastic footprint even more.
So, if you don’t have any lactose intolerance and can find milk in glass bottles, congratulations! You’re officially set to be plastic-free with the milk category!
But what if you do have lactose intolerance… What are the options for lactose-free milk?
How to cut down on single use-plastics with kefir
Strategy #2: Homemade kefir
For those who fall into the bit-of-lactose-intolerance category, which is the one I fall under, then this section is for you. While I can’t handle straight milk, I usually do just fine with most of the other dairy products. Especially kefir because the fermenting process breaks down most of the lactose sugars. Kefir is my favorite! However, there aren’t any plastic-free options that I’ve come across unless you make it yourself.
Make kefir with the milk from glass bottles
So, I started making kefir myself using milk from the glass bottles. Its like a plastic-free double bonus! I have the kefir for drinking and for smoothies and the milk for baking. And while the kefir grains do require daily feeding, it’s not too difficult to maintain. At least once you get the hang of it.
Because kefir ferments at room temperature, no cooking appliances are needed and you likely already have all the necessary equipment in your kitchen. Large glass jars with lids, sieves, and large bowls, there’s more you can add to that list but that’s basically it.
More than just kefir
Unfortunately, with all the moving last year I had to put my kefir grains on ice. But I plan to restart them soon because I got so much out of them. Not only do you get a lot of kefir but you can easily make kefir cheese (kind of like a ricotta), kefir soda, and even kefir butter. Which helped me cut down on plastics in those categories as well. Once you get it going, kefir is the gift that keeps giving.
So if you can drink kefir, than this is an option to cut down on single-use plastics, yay!… But what if you can’t do dairy at all… what are the options then?
Cut down on single-use plastics with plant-based milks
It’s great how many plant-based milks are available at the store these days, but most of them come in what is called an aseptic container. These are the box shaped containers made up of layers of plastic, paper, and aluminum and require specialized mills to be recycled (Can I recycle This?, Jennie Romer). So while these “milks” don’t come in a plastic jug, they are still packaged with plastic. So what are the options to cut down on these single-use plastics?
Strategy #3: homemade plant-based milks
Since I won’t be restarting my kefir grains for a little while, this is the project I’m going to be working on this month. Recently, I’ve been going through quite a bit of nondairy milks because I use them to make my overnight oats. I’ve become especially fond of hemp seed milk.
Reducing single-use plastics by making these milks yourself
“But how do you make plant-based milks and is it going to be very time consuming?”
These are the questions that I will be figuring out this month. Over the holidays a relative gifted me their Nuttr pitcher/machine that they didn’t use any more. So, since I have the equipment, this is the method I’ll be using to try to make my hemp seed milk. I’ll be trying out a few other methods as well to see if the pitcher is a good investment.
And thanks to having a local bulk food store where I can go in and fill my container, I can get my hemp seeds without buying them in plastic packaging. Making this a practically plastic-free option for nondairy milk! Make sure to check if there are any bulk food stores in your area so you can go the extra plastic-free step too.
I’ll let you know how all this goes with the plant-based milks at the end of the month. Until then, enjoy trying these strategies to cut down on single-use plastics this month!
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