August 3: Dairy vs. plant-based milk: what are the environmental impacts?

A growing number of people are interested in switching to plant-based alternatives to dairy. But are they better for the environment, and which is best?

Source: Our World in Data
Date: January 2022

Dairy vs. plant-based milk: what are the environmental impacts?

As individuals look to reduce their carbon footprint, they are making different choices in the milk isle. Dairy accounts for just over 25% of the carbon footprint of the typical EU diet (according to a 2018 study).

Cow’s milk has significantly higher impacts than the plant-based alternatives greenhouse gas emissions (3x as much), land use (10x as much), and freshwater (20x as much).

Let’s take a deeper dive looking at the greenhouse gas emissions of dairy milk compared to oat, soy, almond, and rice milk.

Milks- Dairy Milk
Greenhouse emissions (per liter of milk)- 3.15kg
Change from dairy milk- N/A

Milks- Rice Milk
Greenhouse emissions (per liter of milk)- 1.18kg
Change from dairy milk- 63% less

Milks- Soy Milk
Greenhouse emissions (per liter of milk)- 0.98kg
Change from dairy milk- 69% less

Milks- Oat Milk
Greenhouse emissions (per liter of milk)- 0.90kg
Change from dairy milk- 71% less

Milks- Almond Milk
Greenhouse emissions (per liter of milk)- 0.70kg
Change from dairy milk- 78% less

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