Got milk?

Do you have on-site coffee facilities?
What do you do with left over/waste milk?

Pouring milk (or any other dairy product) down the drain is a criminal offence for businesses in the UK, carrying a fine or even a prison sentence in extreme circumstances.

Milk is a highly polluting substance and as such is classed as a Category 3 Animal By-Product (ABP). It is particularly harmful because it has a high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), meaning that when bacteria breaks it down it does so using huge amounts of oxygen that should otherwise be supporting aquatic organisms – effectively leading to suffocation.

Machines that use powdered milk can be a great alternative, lowers the business risk from milk disposal and also reduces waste as it has a much longer shelf life.

If you like your milk fresh, just make sure you dispose of it correctly. Using the Waste Hierarchy, the best strategy is obviously to use it up before it goes off. Waste milk can alternatively be used in composting facilities (a permit may be required), sent to a food recycling scheme, disposed of via a specialist contractor, or, if all else fails, sent to landfill.
If you have an on-site coffee shop or sell other foodstuffs, do you know how to dispose of your other various waste streams appropriately?