Schools switching to milk dispensers can cut down on waste

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WVIR) -According to Hubert Milk Dispensers, milk cartons make up half of school’s waste across the country.

A study done at an elementary school in Harrisonburg showed that milk dispensers reduced packaging waste by 91%, while increasing how much students drank.

“Whenever a school switches over to reusable cups, it decreases the packaging waste,” Roseann Liberatore with Dairy Alliance said.

In addition to cutting down trash, milk dispensers have other benefits: “Milk dispensers allow students to serve themselves and keep the milk colder than in cartons and improves the taste,” Liberatore said. “They end up drinking more milk in the long run because of the taste and the chill of the milk.”

Grant programs are available to help schools make the switch away from cartons.

“I will assist them with an application that they can fill out and apply for the funding that would support the milk dispenser,” Liberatore said.

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