Milky Plant

The Milky Plant Machine / Source: Milky Plant

EuropeFood & BeveragePackaging

6 MINUTE READ

Sophie Benson

WHAT WE SAY:

The switch to plant-based milks made from oats, nuts, and seeds is posited as a win for the environment. Dairy milk causes around three times as many GHG emissions, consumes 22 times as much freshwater, and creates higher levels of eutrophication. However, the cartons plant-based milks are sold in leave their own mark on the environment. They're manufactured from mixed layers of materials and coatings, including polyethylene, paperboard, and Aluminium, and the majority aren’t recycled. The Milky Plant, which makes alt-milk at the push of a button, allows people to skip the packaging and go DIY.

Could it be done with a blender? Sure. But since we know convenience is a major driver of behaviour change, this one-press, self-cleaning device might be the nudge the world needs.

KEY FACTS:

UK-based startup Milky Plant is “revolutionising the way we drink plant-based milk at home”.
The company was founded in 2016, after the co-founders sought to adopt a dairy-free diet due to health reasons and found that many plant-based milks were high in saturated fat, additives, and preservatives.
The Milky Plant device makes a range of plant-based milks, including oat, almond, rice, soy, and pea.
Users fill the integrated reservoir with water, pour approximately 80 millilitres of the chosen raw milk base (raw almonds, cashews, and so on) into the top of the machine, press a button, and 500 millilitres of milk is dispensed into a bottle or any chosen container. Making milk takes less than three minutes.
While a blender can be used to make plant-based milks, Milky Plant leads with the convenience of its device. It's quicker, no prep or pre-soaking is needed, and it doesn't require straining. Co-founder Nadina Grigoras also claims users need approximately 30% less ingredients compared to blending.
The Milky Plant uses proprietary technology to strain nuts and seeds within the device, leaving behind a dry pulp which can be added straight to compost, or used in smoothies and other recipes.
To clean the device, users add water and press a button to start the cleaning function.
The Milky Plant device, which comes with a reusable glass bottle and a digital recipe book, costs GBP 325 (USD 398), with discounts applied when buying two or three together. The company estimates the price per litre at around GBP 0.60 (USD 0.47) for almond milk, GBP 0.10 (USD 0.12) for oat milk, and GBP 0.80 (USD 0.98) for cashew milk. Store bought, packaged equivalents cost between GBP 1.80 (USD 2.21) and GBP 2.50 (USD 3.07).
Milky Plant claims that around 42 pounds of CO2 is generated to make a Milky Plant, plus another 5 pounds for packaging, 0.6 pounds for transit to fulfilment centres, and 4 pounds for shipping to the customer’s doorstep. Grigoras says these figures are taken from general industry averages. The company is currently conducting its own independent LCA, which it hopes to finalise by summer 2023.
The company says it does not use single-use plastic within the packaging for its device, however it does sell ‘Fortify Me’, a plant-based powder mix, in plastic sachets.
Extra reusable milk bottles are also part of Milky Plant’s expanding product offering.

Fortify Me - a plant-based superfood powder / Source: Milky Plant

Homemade almond milk and chocolate chip cookies / Source: Milky Plant

DIVE DEEPER:

In the US, 470,000 tons of aseptic box milk cartons are generated each year. In 2021, Tetra Pak sold over 192 billion packages, yet recycling these cartons is becoming increasingly difficult. Due to the multi-material nature of shelf-stable cartons - typically featuring 74% paper, 22% plastic and 4% aluminium - recovering the materials for reuse is tricky and time consuming, and only carried out in a handful of places.
If the containers do end up at a capable recycling facility, many are sent straight to landfill because the value of the separated materials isn't worth the outlay for municipal waste companies. Some municipalities have increased their fees by as much as 125%. As a result, the recycling rate of the cartons in the US is only 16%, while in Vietnam only one recycler accepts Tetra Pak.
Tetra Pak doesn’t only package plant-based milks, however the market is rapidly expanding. In Q4 of 2021, Oatly, which uses the Tetra Pak PlantMaster production model, sold 142 million litres of finished goods. Dairy-free brand Alpro, which also uses Tetra Pak, announced in 2022 that it was investing in high-speed production to produce over 400 million litres of plant-based milk in the UK alone.
The growing availability of plant-based milk delivery in reusable glass bottles has the potential to help reduce reliance on aseptic boxes with low recycling rates. However, doorstep delivery represents just 3% of the entire retail milk market (including dairy) in the UK.
Milky Plant co-founders Nadina Grigoras and Michael Adjovi tried making plant milk at home during the pandemic, but found the process messy and time consuming. The Milky Plant was their solution.
Grigoras says it took 82 prototypes to arrive at the right design, with the filtration system proving particularly challenging.
The co-founders funded the company with their savings, and raised GBP 31,000 (USD 38,000) via Kickstarter in April 2022 in order to “validate their idea”.
While the Milky Plant is made using plastic, it’s intended as a longterm multi-use tool to tackle single-use plastic waste. The high initial investment yields waste reduction, at-home convenience, and a lower price per litre.
As the device is made from plastic, Milky Plant established an end-of-programme from launch. When a device is returned, parts are refurbished or reused where possible, and recycled if not.
Milky Plant is a member of 1% for the Planet and Ecologi.

“The Milky Plant makes homemade plant milk as easy, fast, and fun as possible. Plus, you’re in control of what goes in your milk. No preservatives or additives, just 100% delicious plant milk every time.”

Milky Plant

Key Design Considerations:

Convenience is key

Milky Plant performs a function that can be done much more cheaply with a blender, but the speed and efficiency of the device, the simplicity of the process, and the self-cleaning function are what sets it apart. Any device that's new to market must offer a lower barrier to entry, whether cost or convenience.

Expand your product line carefully

Milky Plant uses a reduction in packaging waste as a selling point, but in early 2023 it introduced a recipe mix in plastic packaging, confusing the low-waste messaging. Always prioritise refillable options and, with consumables, explore compostable or dissolvable materials too.

Broader use cases

The ability to customise recipes and cut down on waste is an attractive option for food and beverage vendors as well as individual consumers. Is there an opportunity to expand into restaurants, cafés, or vending machines?

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Milky Plant

WHAT WE SAY:

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

The growing availability of plant-based milk delivery in reusable glass bottles has the potential to help reduce reliance on aseptic boxes with low recycling rates. However, doorstep delivery represents just 3% of the entire retail milk market (including dairy) in the UK.

Milky Plant co-founders Nadina Grigoras and Michael Adjovi tried making plant milk at home during the pandemic, but found the process messy and time consuming. The Milky Plant was their solution.

Grigoras says it took 82 prototypes to arrive at the right design, with the filtration system proving particularly challenging.

The co-founders funded the company with their savings, and raised GBP 31,000 (USD 38,000) via Kickstarter in April 2022 in order to “validate their idea”.

While the Milky Plant is made using plastic, it’s intended as a longterm multi-use tool to tackle single-use plastic waste. The high initial investment yields waste reduction, at-home convenience, and a lower price per litre.

As the device is made from plastic, Milky Plant established an end-of-programme from launch. When a device is returned, parts are refurbished or reused where possible, and recycled if not.

Milky Plant is a member of 1% for the Planet and Ecologi.

Milky Plant

Key Design Considerations:

Convenience is key

Expand your product line carefully

Broader use cases

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