Moo-ving Towards Sustainability: The Bulk Milk Solution in Schools

Picture this: Fifty Olympic-size swimming pools filled to the brim — not with water, but milk. Now imagine pouring each of these pools down the drain. That’s approximately how much milk is wasted every year in schools. 

Milk is not only a staple of school food programs, it is a USDA-required component. According to a World Wildlife Fund report, schools provide approximately 275 million half-pint carton servings of milk to students every school day. Roughly 32 cartons worth of liquid milk per student go to waste each year. The good news is we can rather simply reduce that to around 4.5 cartons worth of liquid milk per student — and ditch the carton entirely — simultaneously reducing packaging waste. 

“We applied for the Bulk Milk grant to reduce packaging waste as part of our effort to be more environmentally friendly,” said Ithaca School District Child Nutrition Director Beth Krause. 

While reducing packaging and liquid milk waste was the original goal, Krause also noted: “Bulk Milk has created excitement for the students, and they have said that the milk ‘tastes fresher.’” The fresh taste comes from more precise temperature control that is inherent to bulk milk dispensers.

When we asked Krause about what advice she’d give to schools considering making the switch to bulk, she shared that schools should consider how to allocate space for the bulk milk equipment and plan to train staff on how to operate, refill, and sanitize the machine. “By carefully planning and executing these operational adjustments, you can successfully integrate bulk milk machines into your facility while ensuring smooth operations and customer satisfaction,” said Krause.