WORLD PLANT MILK DAY
What something as simple as your morning coffee can do to save the planet

Thursday August 22nd is World Plant Milk Day – an opportunity to celebrate all the new alternatives to dairy milk now widely available across the UK – and in doing so make a real impact on climate change. Just by switching to non-dairy alternatives for a whole week, something as easy as opting for oat milk lattes or almond milk cuppas, you can save 3.5kg of CO2 and 3,353 litres of water. That’s more than enough to fill a red telephone box!

World Plant Milk Day was founded by ProVeg UK and Plant Based News in 2017 and since then has reached 30 million people globally – raising awareness of the issues relating to the dairy industry, highlighting the many benefits of plant-based foods and encouraging people to make the switch.

Today we Britons have access to an unprecedented number of non-dairy options in our local supermarket – varieties of coconut, almond, oat, rice and soya milk all line our shelves. The global non-dairy milk market is set to reach more than £31 billion in the next 5 years.¹

Philip Mansbridge, Executive Director of ProVeg UK:

“We made 22nd August World Plant Milk Day because it’s crucial for our world that consumers take notice of all their plant milk options. The more we can incorporate these types of simple changes into our daily habits the better off the whole planet will be. An oat or soy milk latte is a pretty delicious way to make a difference.

And that’s really what World Plant Milk Day is all about – showing everyone that we can all make a difference without compromising any taste.”

ProVeg has actively brought attention to the fact that animal agriculture is one of the leading drivers of climate change, producing more greenhouse gases than all of the world’s transportation combined – as also noted in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

ProVeg UK‘s Philip Mansbridge continues:

“Scientists are warning the demands we are placing on our planet are enormous and unsustainable. Unless we change our relationship with land, we won’t be able to prevent the climate crisis. So it’s important that people feel emboldened to make simple changes because it really does make a difference over time. Climate change can feel like such a daunting issue – but we can each do something about it by making better day to day choices.”

The simple change of going dairy-free has never been easier and definitely doesn’t mean going without your favourite foods. ProVeg has recipes and plant-based alternatives that will tempt any palate on World Plant Milk Day:

Try these and more here.

So we challenge you: ditch dairy for the day and experience just how easy it can be to make that switch!

So What Does Ditching Dairy Actually Look Like?

• It’s already in our fridge. Plant milks are no longer a niche product; 43% of Europeans purchase both dairy and dairy alternatives in their regular grocery shops.²
• It eases water consumption. The agricultural sector uses 70% of the freshwater available worldwide, while the production of animal products accounts for almost one-third of that water.³
• It eases land usage. Cow’s milk has the biggest environmental impact in all areas and requires nine square metres of land and 628 litres of water for each litre produced.⁴
• People who only consumed plant milk or who combined cow’s milk, as well as plant milk, stated that it is easier on the digestive tract, that they feel better physically, and that they have noticed increases in productivity.⁵

ProVeg launched World Plant Milk Day to show consumers how easy it is to make plant-based alternatives a part of their day to day. We have more recipes, research and challenges available – to find out more get in touch.

Could you ditch dairy for the day? What about for 7 days?