Sustainable living has become an increasingly important thing in our world today. As the state of the environment slowly continues to degrade, it is essential that we start changing our lifestyles in favour of more sustainable and environmentally-friendly ones to protect our Earth. Did you know that simply switching from dairy milk to plant-based milk is a simple way to live more sustainably? Let us walk you through all the reasons why consuming plant-based milk over dairy milk is so much better for the environment!
The environmental harms of dairy milk 
It may surprise you to learn about how bad the production of dairy milk is for the environment!
Air - Believe it or not, dairy cattle are responsible for 62 percent of all carbon emissions in the food industry, and 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gases. This is because of the waste gas that they release, which is high in methane, a gas that is around 30 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
Water - A whopping 1050 litres of water is required to produce a single litre of dairy milk! More than 93 percent of this water is used to grow feed for dairy cattle. Dairy cows also require twice as much water as non-dairy cows.
Land - 9 percent of available US cropland is used to grow feed for dairy cows - this amounts to about 34.1 million acres!
How does plant-based milk compare?
Hazelnut milk - Hazelnuts are incredibly environmentally friendly! They do not require a lot of water to grow, and are able to grow even in periods of drought. Hazelnuts also have the ability to sequester carbon, meaning that they can capture and store carbon dioxide, preventing the carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Hazelnuts also reduce soil erosion.
Oat milk - As compared to dairy milk, the production of oat milk causes 80 percent less greenhouse gas emissions, 60 percent less energy usage and 80 percent less land. Out of all plant-based milk, oat milk uses the last amount of water. A litre of oat milk only requires 48 litres of water to produce!
Almond milk - Almond milk has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of all the plant-based milk discussed today. However, a big concern regarding almond milk is the amount of water that takes to produce it. A single litre of almond milk requires around 371 litres of water to produce, much more than its other plant-based milk counterparts. However, it is still a significantly better choice than dairy milk as it uses much less water (dairy milk uses 1050 litres of water per litre of milk!), and it has a notably low level of greenhouse gas emissions! 
Hemp milk - Hemp milk requires very little water to produce. Hemp also breathes in 4 times more carbon dioxide than trees do, making it wonderful for the environment! Additionally, every part of the hemp plant is usable, resulting in minimal wastage.
Go Green today by swapping out dairy milk for your favourite plant-based milk! At The Better Milk, we pride ourselves on our efforts towards environmental sustainability, using reusable glass bottles instead of plastic, and producing delicious, healthy plant-based milk without the exploitation of nature or animals. We are proudly zero-waste and we encourage recycling culture, waiving all bottle deposit and packaging fees.
Try our environmentally sustainable milk today! Get The Better Almond, The Better Walnut, The Better Oat and The Better Hazelnut here.
Links:
1. https://brightly.eco/the-environmental-impacts-of-different-dairy-and-dairy-free-milk/
3. https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/winter-2019/articles/milk-s-impact-on-the-environment
4. https://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/consortium/agriculture.cfm
5. https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/science/carbon-sequestration/
8. https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/plant-based/how-environmentally-friendly-is-vegan-milk/597897.article
9. https://www.goodhemp.com/hemp-hub/good-hemp-drink-vs-other-drinks/
10. https://inhabitat.com/how-to-choose-the-healthiest-most-sustainable-milk-alternative/