You probably already know plant milk is far more sustainable than dairy, and as a society, we're heading in the right direction. But you can even do one better for the planet. Enter Overherd, the UK's first oat milk powder.
The problem: plant milk is mostly water
Did you know plant milk is mostly water? Oat milk is typically up to 90% water, with other milks – like almond – containing as much as 97% H2O.
That isn't an issue in itself, but water isn't exactly light. All that water makes plant milk unnecessarily bulky and heavy, which forces producers to use lots of packaging that often doesn't get recycled.
On top of that, all that heavy, diluted plant milk has to be transported around the country, resulting in excessive carbon emissions.
Dried plant milk is the answer
Plant milk powder is a new concept. Essentially, it's a concentrated version of shop-bought plant milk, but without the water. Instead of the producer adding water and shipping it to supermarket shelves, you add the water at home instead.
Here's exactly why that's more sustainable.
Sacking the water means lighter, smaller packages. Our Overherd pouches contain 91% less packaging than regular plant milk cartons.
Being a dried product, we can also package Overherd in a single material, whereas cartons are multi-layered and difficult to recycle.
Shockingly, an independent analysis found that only 29.5% of cartons actually end up being recycled in the UK, which is significantly less than the industry's own estimates and the public's perception.
with Overherd pouches versus regular plant milk cartons. Overherd uses a single, recyclable material.
Because Overherd isn't filled with water, it's 10x lighter and smaller, which means far fewer lorries are needed to move it from A to B. The result is fewer transport emissions throughout the entire supply chain.
pouches mean fewer lorries, fewer journeys, and fewer transport emissions across the supply chain.
Did you know 1 in 6 pints of milk is thrown away in the UK? That's hugely wasteful and damaging to the planet. Ever had to pour away a half-full carton because it's gone off? Who hasn't.
Overherd and other plant milk powders have a naturally long shelf life. You also only make what you need, so it's virtually zero waste.
in every household, on average. Overherd's long shelf life and make-what-you-need approach cuts that to almost nothing.
Where can you buy powdered oat milk?
We're the UK's first oat milk powder brand, using organic and gluten-free oats. Just add water, shake, and enjoy! It's as simple as that.
If you prefer other plant milk varieties like soy, take a look at our article listing other powdered plant milk brands on the UK market. We hope more brands, both within and outside the food industry, take the time to re-evaluate how products reach consumers, so we can all minimise our impact on the planet.
One of the most sustainable milks you can choose
Overherd oat milk powder cuts packaging by 91% and ships 10x lighter than cartons. You're not paying to move water around the country. Just add water at home for fresh oat milk, with a fraction of the footprint and none of the waste.
Shop Oat Milk Powder