How green is your milk? We compare the environmental cost of dairy and plant-based options

"You need to consider what the purpose of drinking the milk is, Hadjikakou says. If I was looking for a milk for my children, I probably would make a different decision than if I was looking for a milk for my coffee. Aside from nutritional considerations, there are many factors to assess for environmental impacts. Fertiliser use, water consumption, packaging and processing as well as emissions all come into play."

"All of the plant-based options are pretty low on emissions, Hadjikakou says. Soy, oat and almond all have lower emissions [than dairy]. Cows produce methane during their digestive processes, which is then burped out into the atmosphere. In Australia, it's estimated that 11% of our total greenhouse gas emissions comes from ruminant livestock digestion."

Australians are shifting from dairy to plant-based milk alternatives due to environmental concerns, dietary needs, and taste preferences. Cow milk consumption declined from 100 litres per person annually in 2015 to 85 litres by 2025, while plant-based milk purchases increased. Although 96% of Australians consume animal milk, 42% also buy plant-based options. Environmental sustainability requires nuanced analysis beyond emissions alone. Factors including fertilizer use, water consumption, packaging, processing, and production methods must be evaluated. Plant-based milks like soy, oat, and almond produce lower emissions than dairy, which contributes 11% of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions through methane from ruminant digestion. However, each milk type presents distinct environmental trade-offs requiring context-specific evaluation.

Read at www.theguardian.com