We’ve always believed that plant-based foods like Silk are about more than health—they’re good for the planet, too. So we decided to do a little research and see just how big a difference swapping out milk for Silk could make. It all began with two studies—a "life cycle assessment" and a “water footprint”—comparing the environmental impact of a half-gallon of Silk Original soymilk, almondmilk and coconutmilk to a half-gallon of conventional U.S. dairy milk. We took a close look at the agricultural inputs, water usage, greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of consumer use and disposal. Then we totaled it all up and got some pretty good news.1, 2
Resource Conservation
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Tiptoeing on the Earth’s resources Sometimes less is definitely more. That’s why we’re excited to share good news about our environmental footprint and our steps to reduce it even further. |
Sometimes less is definitely more. That’s why we’re excited to share good news about our environmental footprint and our steps to reduce it even further.
Silk® versus milk: Bring it on!
Silk is a water-saving choice
Producing one carton of Silk uses 77% less water than producing one carton of typical dairy milk.1 When you consider the water used to farm our primary ingredients and produce Silk compared to what’s needed to grow feed, raise cows and produce milk, the picture’s pretty clear.
We’re lower on greenhouse gases
Producing a carton of Silk generates 47% fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) than producing a carton of typical dairy milk.2 All food production practices—farming, manufacturing, storage and distribution—generate some degree of greenhouse gas emissions. While we’re always looking for ways to do even better, we’re happy to say that our plant-based beverages are a clear winner versus conventional dairy milk in overall GHG impact.
We like our energy green, too
We’ve been purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) since 2003 to offset the electricity used in our manufacturing facilities with clean wind sources. We purchase RECs from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation for every kilowatt hour of electricity we use to make our products in our company-owned plants. As one of the first U.S. brands to purchase RECs, we’re proud to say that our efforts represent hundreds of thousands of cleaner, greener megawatt-hours.
Helping to restore waterways
Silk purchases Water Restoration Certificates (WRCs) from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to offset a portion of the water used in making our products. The money we invest in WRCs is used to help fund waterway restoration programs in areas of critical need. Learn more about WRCs here.
1 Based on a 2010 water footprint assessment conducted by Silk using the Water Footprint Network methodology and the average annual consumption of Silk by US households.
2 Based on a Life Cycle Assessment conducted in 2011 by WhiteWave Foods Company and certified using the ISO 14040/44 framework for comparative declarations by an independent panel of LCA experts.