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We found ways to make oat milk more sustainable
Who else loves oat milk? Oat milk has taken the world by storm, and while it’s better for the environment than dairy, it has some environmental issues– especially around packaging. I’d like to share how we made oat milk more sustainable through an activity called Mashup.
Mashup is an activity where you change 1-2 elements of a product and leave everything else as it is. So that’s what we did. We held an innovation lab to change a few key elements of oat milk.
01. Liquid → powder
The first element we changed was liquid, and instead changed it to powder. Powder could allow milk to be condensed, which is more sustainable because it reduces packaging and also lasts longer.
02. Cardboard packaging → compostable bulk packaging
The second element we changed was the packaging. Most milk is currently boxed in milk cartons. We thought we could repackage the powder into small dissolvable bags and craft fun packaging that could be bought in bulk. These packets would last much longer and be more compact, enhancing sustainability.
03. Individuals → baristas
Instead of marketing oat milk to individuals, what if we marketed it towards chain coffee shops? Instead of baristas at coffee shops using oat milk cartons to make lattes, they could use dissolvable powder that was sold in bulk to them. Aesthetically, it wouldn’t matter because people at cafes would not see the milk and the powder could be created so latte art would still be possible. And companies could use this tactic to show they are meeting their packaging goals for the environmental certification scores.
Learnings
From holding this innovation lab, I saw the power of using Mashups in the sustainability space. By listing the elements of products and thinking about ways to make them more environmentally friendly, we can make a huge impact on our footprint.
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