Which vegan milk is best for the environment?
Splashing it all over your cereal in the morning, in your tea, dare I say in your hot cocoa at bedtime, but have you thought about which one has the least environmental impact?
Asked by: Libby Chapman, Nottingham
All of the non-dairy milks are much better for the environment than cow’s milk. They use less land, less water and generate lower amounts of greenhouse gases. The milk with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions is almond milk, because the trees lock up a lot of CO₂ as they grow. However, it does require the most water to produce of the vegan milks. Soy milk uses the least water with only slightly higher emissions.
Environmental impact of one glass (200ml) of different milks:
Dairy
Emissions (kg) = 0.63
Land use (square metre) = 1.79
Water (litre) = 125.6
Rice
Emissions (kg) = 0.24
Land use (square metre) = 0.07
Water (litre) = 54
Soy
Emissions (kg) = 0.2
Land use (square metre) = 0.13
Water (litre) = 5.6
Oat
Emissions (kg) = 0.18
Land use (square metre) =0.15
Water (litre) = 9.6
Almond
Emissions (kg) = 0.14
Land use (square metre) = 0.1
Water (litre) = 74.3
Read more:
- The thought experiment: What would happen if everyone on the planet suddenly went vegan?
- What would happen if a person just ate meat and nothing else?
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Authors
Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.
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