We have all had the encounter with our local barista asking us if we would like to substitute our dairy milk for soy or almond. What started off as a dietary preference has blossomed into a popular choice for many coffee drinkers. Aside from fresh new flavors, plant-based milks yield a much lower environmental footprint, avoiding the highly polluting process of dairy farming.

What started off as an alternative for lactose-intolerant individuals, oat milk has rapidly become the preferred choice of plant-based milk. As oats are able to absorb water more effectively, they naturally provide a creamy texture without any additives. 

Our favorite “not-milk” of choice comes from a company called Oatside. Founded in Singapore, Oatside has now expanded throughout the Asian market – we are stoked to find their brand across cafes and supermarkets around Indonesia. We love their use of all natural ingredients: oats, cacaos, and hazelnuts. By avoiding emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial flavors, we believe that their oat milk is the future of sustainable milk production.  

Oatside’s website comes with a fun section titled  “Dear Cows” where they explain in-depth regarding the harmful nature of dairy-based milk production and the benefits of oats.  

The problem with the dairy industry is its harmful environmental impacts. . Cattle today are classified as ruminant animals;  Their digestive system involves a process called enteric fermentation, which causes them to emit  methane. Methane is one of the most dangerous  greenhouse gasses  (GHG) and makes up to 11% of all GHG emissions  in the US. 

If left unchecked, emissions associated with dairy farms will continue to grow and put a huge strain on the health of our environment.  As plant-based milk producers, Oatside understands the importance of advocacy and education regarding the dairy industry’s environmental impacts, as well as promoting more responsible milk consumption. It is their mission to be the “best tasting not-milk, we want to be THE plant milk for people who don’t care for plant milk.” 

Oatside’s process of making oat milk is considerably more sustainable than the dairy industry.  For example, they install  natural gas boilers, ,  and use paper carton packaging for ease of  recyclability. These initiatives allow Oatside to have a lower environmental footprint: 3x lower GHG emissions, 11x lower land use, and 13x lower water consumption. , as a company, Oatside 3x less carbon emissions, 11x less land used and 13x less water consumption.  

Water plays an important  part in Oatside’s production process. In their facility located in Bandung, Indonesia, they have direct access to natural spring water. Being mindful of the surrounding community, they went above and beyond, sharing access to the spring water with 72 homes in the area.  This initiative made Oatside the world’s smallest utility company – it goes to show you that it doesn’t hurt to share what we have in abundance. 

If you still haven’t tried oat milk yet, we recommend checking out Oatside’s website, where they provide special recipes to suit your preferences for the best plant-based milk available. No matter which you choose, just know that you’ve already made a more responsible choice.

Works Cited

All images belong to their rightful owners. This is purely an educational article.
 1 Shape. (2022, May 27). Everything You Need to Know About Oat Milk. https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/oat-milk-nutrition-dairy-free-milk 

 2 Enteric fermentation. (n.d.). Climate & Clean Air Coalition. https://www.ccacoalition.org/en/activity/enteric-fermentation 

3 Peer reviewed publications. (n.d.). Sustainable Dairy’s. http://www.sustainabledairy.org/publications/Pages/Peer-Reviewed-Publications.aspx

4,5,6 Peer reviewed publications. (n.d.). Sustainable Dairy’s. http://www.sustainabledairy.org/publications/Pages/Peer-Reviewed-Publications.aspx