Dairy vs. Plant-Based Milk: Which is Greener?

Marcus Lu
2025-03-20 08:10:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Dairy vs. Plant-Based Milk: Which is Greener?

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Dairy milk has a larger environmental footprint compared to plant-based alternatives.
Almond milk is almost as water-intensive as dairy milk but contains very little protein.
Plant-based milks such as almond, soy, oat, and rice often have lower levels of saturated fats and cholesterol compared to cow’s milk, contributing to better cardiovascular health. Additionally, many plant-based milks are fortified with essential nutrients like calcium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B12.

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The Growth of Plant-Based Milk

Beyond dietary restrictions like lactose intolerance or veganism, many consumers choose plant-based milk for sustainability.

However, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions vary widely depending on the ingredients. The data for this graphic comes from the World Resources Institute.

Environmental Comparison

Cow’s milk provides more protein (8.2 grams per cup) but has the highest average greenhouse gas emissions (330 grams of CO2e per cup) and the highest water usage (21 liters per cup).

Milk Type	Avg. CO2e emissions (g)	Avg. water use (L)	Avg. protein content (g)
Cow	330	21	8.2
Soy	122	5	6.1
Oat	102	9	2.7
Almond	98	19	1.0
Coconut	69	1	0.5

Among plant-based options:

Soy milk has the highest protein content (6.1 grams per cup) but also the highest greenhouse gas emissions among plant milks (122 grams of CO2e per cup).
Almond milk has lower emissions (95 grams of CO2e per cup) but requires nearly as much water as dairy milk (19 liters per cup).
Coconut milk has the lowest emissions (69 grams of CO2e per cup) and requires just 1 liter of water per cup. However, it also has the lowest protein content.

Market Size

The global plant-based milk market was estimated at $19.42 billion in 2023.
The global dairy milk market was valued at $330 billion in 2023.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed this topic, check out this infographic highlighting America’s most common nutrient deficiencies, the percentage of the population not meeting dietary requirements, and the natural food sources of these nutrients.

The post Dairy vs. Plant-Based Milk: Which is Greener? appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

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