The Short Version: Almost

The Long Version: Avoiding plastics completely is almost impossible when it comes to certain aspects of a business, however we are extremely conscious of everything that goes into our business, no matter how small.
We believe complete transparency is essential in building a trusted brand, as such we are open about the difficulties for modern businesses to remain 100% plastic free.
Regarding our products, you may notice our lids contain a very small amount of plastic in their lining, preventing the metal from coming into contact with the contents. This doesn’t prevent them from being recyclable, in fact, it is subsequently burnt off during recycling, due to the heat in the melting process. Finally our labels contain a laminate coating which protects them from falling apart in the rain or inside your fridge!
While these are of course minor things, and compared to Tetra Pak’s negligible, we are always trying to improve, getting as close to “true” zero waste as possible!

The Short Version: Because our plantmilks are fresh and organic. Our bottles returnable with minimal possible waste

The Long Version: There is a lot that goes into making our Plantmilks and keeping the business circular. What you are paying for when you choose ReRooted;

• Compared with single use packaging, we take back empty bottles, wash them and refill them (person power, machinery, renewable energy)
• 100% organic, ethical ingredients (even down to the staff clothing!)
• The quantity of, for example, almonds or coconut in our Plantmilks is many times higher than other plant based milks – our Almond Plantmilk has 8x the almonds compared to one of the market leaders!
• We pay our staff above UK living wage – we are passionate about business being fair and regenerative – this starts with the staff members being properly rewarded for their hard work

The Short Answer: Because sometimes life gives you lumps

The Long Answer: There are a few reasons you could be seeing some lumps. But first make sure you’ve properly shaken your milk!
We are dedicated to making the best quality Plantmilks in the least complicated way – especially avoiding chemical additives and emulsifiers. As a result our Plantmilks may separate slightly or, in the case of the Coconut, have some lumps of yummy coconut cream. Don’t be alarmed! These will blend into a smoothie or melt into a delicious curry sauce when heated.

The Short Answer: Soon, maybe?

The Long Answer: Soya is an interesting one. While there might be no lil’beans in the ReRooted development lab at present, it is certainly on the agenda. There are so many wonderful plants and nuts out there for us to milk and hopefully we will get around to Soya, just as soon as we can find the most ecologically balanced and sound supply chain!

The Short Answer: It gets recycled!

The Long Answer: Our almond, oat and coconut pulp currently gets sent to a recycling centre where it gets made into compost. Down the road we hope to work with companies to repurpose our pulp into tasty treats such as bars and brownies (more on that soon!)

The Short Version: Our business is focused on reusing and never single use!

The Long Version: This is one of the central reasons that ReRooted was founded!
We were unhappy with the number of Tetrapaks many families were getting through – not to mention all of the cafes! Tetrapaks are made up of a number of layers of plastic, cardboard and aluminium which are difficult and energy consumptive to separate; therefore many recycling centres don’t recycle them and they end up in landfill despite the consumer recycling them. 

The Short Answer: All Over!

The Long Answer: Our coconuts come from Sri Lanka or The Philippines (depending on the time of year). Almonds from Spain, using self pollinating (bee friendly) trees! The oats and sunflower oil we use come from Europe (though a UK based oat milk is in development), the hazelnuts from Turkey and the salt from Cornwall.
We’d love to be able to use British ingredients in all of our plantmilks, however that’s currently not possible due to a lack of options when it comes to sourcing ingredients that are organically certified here in the UK.
We are working on it however, and hope that one day in the not too distant future, we’ll be able to source more and more things locally.

The Short Version: We refuse to use a product that is not biodegradable (doesn’t break down after a certain point). Furthermore, as plastic is composed of major toxic pollutants, it has the potential to cause significant harm to the environment in the form of air, water, and land pollution

The (Very) Long Version: Making the choice to switch from plastic to glass packaging may seem like an obvious one. Plastic has, in many respects quite rightly, earned itself a bad reputation, and is increasingly seen as a material that we must move away from at all costs.

1) Plastic is made from oil
Little more needs to be said on this point – it is clear that ceasing all use of fossil fuels imminently is essential.
However, glass is made from sand dredged from river and ocean beds, which decimates habitats and disrupts marine ecosystems.

2) Toxicity
Plastic leaches toxic chemicals into the contents of the bottle, then again into the earth/air as it degrades/is incinerated, and off-gasses throughout its entire life cycle. Plastic also degrades into microplastics, which are yet another major issue that we have to face.
Glass is non-reactive and non-porous, leaching no chemicals into what is contained within it, or into the earth/air.

3) Recyclability
Plastic can only be recycled a few times, as each time it is recycled it degrades, and so really is only able to be downcycled before ultimately becoming a waste product.
Glass can be reused, and then recycled indefinitely back into the same quality bottle as it was before.

4) Recycling rates
The average recycling rate for plastic in the UK is 59%.
The rate for glass is 76.5% making is significantly more likely to actually be recycled when it isn’t able to be reused

6) Psychological/behavioural impact
A survey carried out by YouGov concluded that a large percentage of the British public have feelings of guilt around using single use plastic, which is motivating them to actively seek out more sustainable alternatives.
We have found that as this switch is made, and awareness of different purchasing options and their impacts increases, this tends to have a domino effect within people’s lives, influencing the quality of their choices overall.

7) Impact of payload on fuel consumption
Probably the most compelling argument in support of the use of plastic over glass is the simple fact that glass is so much heavier, and therefore uses so much more fuel to transport it when compared with plastic. A full 1L bottle of our Plantmilk is, for example, approx. 30% heavier than a Tetrapak alternative.
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study estimates that vehicle weight reductions of 35% could reduce fuel consumption by 12 to 20%;
However, we use an electric van powered by renewable energy for our local deliveries. As EV tech advances, battery and electrical components become more efficient and less impactful, we will switch to a fully electric fleet for all wholesale and home deliveries, which will mitigate to a large
extent the payload/fuel consumption issue.

In conclusion, it seems that a lot of the impact made by packaging materials on the whole is dependent on our interaction with them, rather than the materials themselves. It is our intention to create the opportunity for our customers to engage in a movement towards truly sustainable, and regenerative Plantmilk production and purchasing.

Summary:
After considering all of the factors, we feel that glass is, at present, the best packaging option for us to achieve this. Glass carries with it the potential for responsible, repeated use, whilst plastic bottles and Tetrapaks are, at best, only ever able to be recycled a few times, don’t lend themselves well to reuse, and are far more toxic to us and to the environment.

The Short Version: 3 days officially. It’s 0 days if you let it overheat. It’s …? days if you keep it good and cold.

The Long Version: We recommend consuming your plantmilk within three days of opening… but there’s a slightly more nuanced take on that. If you let your plantmilk get too warm for too long, it’s going to go off. That’s without even opening it! But, if you keep it nice and cool from doorstep/shopfloor to fridge, it can last a fair bit longer.

The Short Version: Oat Barista is thicker whereas our regular oat plant milk is a fantastic all-rounder.

The Long Version: Oat Barista is thicker due to it’s higher oil content, this acts as a carrier and allows for a thicker, more velvety finish, better suited for hot drinks.

The Short Version: Our plantmilks are unsweetened with the exception of Almond

The Long Version: We try to keep things as natural as possible and give you your plantmilks with no unnecessary extras, which is one of the reasons we don’t use any types of sugars or rice based fillers to sweeten our plant milks. However we do slightly sweeten our almond milk with dates (around 3 dates per litre) just to round off the flavour and make it as delicious as possible whilst still sticking to our whole food 

The Short Version: Yes!

The Long Version: We are always looking to bring new and interesting plantmilk products for you to enjoy, we’ll announce our upcoming products via email and social media!

The Short Version: We make all of our plantmilks inhouse at our Totnes facility

The Long Version: Our production warehouse in Totnes is where all the magic happens, with our 20 employees working hard to create your favourite plantmilk drinks

The Short Version: Yes, but also no.

The Long Version: Our Almond & Coconut based plantmilks are indeed gluten free, however they’re made on the same premises as our oat and oat barista which both have a small amount of gluten content.

Our almond and coconut milks have been tested to be below the 20ppm threshold required to be classed as gluten free.
Our oat and oat barista milks are slightly above the 20ppm threshold required to be gluten free but are still considered very low content.

The Short Answer: No

The Long Answer: This is a tricky subject! Firstly we will never fortify our plantmilks as Organic certification does not allow it. On from that we don’t see that our products are a direct replacement for dairy milk. When looking at dropping dairy it is important to look at sourcing vitamins and minerals from a well balanced diet. Calcium for example is in far higher quantities in green veg and more bio-available. Iodine in milk is actually not from the cow but a contaminant from the excessive use teat dip to prevent crippling mastitis. One thing we will guarantee does not come in our plantmilks are antibiotic residues, anthemintic wormer traces, inflammatory cells and fertility hormones.

The Short Answer: It can be!

The Long Answer: While a lot of companies source their almonds from less ethical sources, consuming large volumes of water, we source our almonds from Spain, from self pollinating (bee friendly) trees! What this means is there are no bees displaced or abused, way fewer food miles and less water used.

The Short Version: The calcium levels are only what naturally occur in the ingredients (a small amount!)

The Long Version: The reason for this is Organic standards dictate that we aren’t able to fortify with calcium, the same way some other plant milk companies can.
Calcium is a mineral and comes from the ground! We can obtain all the nutrients we need from our food. Oranges, almonds, broccoli, bread and even baked beans are all great sources of calcium!

The Short Version: From us (if you live locally) or Riverford and Milk & More!

The Long Version: We cover Totnes, down to Kingsbridge and up to Newton Abbot and Ashburton our friends at Riverford and Milk & More have got the rest of you covered. You can visit this link to get started and check if we cover your postcode

The Short Answer: Because each supplier sets their own price.

The Long Answer: Because no business is the same, the cost of operating these businesses is always going to be different, this is reflected in their pricing, you might find one supplier cheaper on one product, but more expensive on another depending on the costs involved their end.

The Short Answer: Devon

The Long Answer: We are currently based in the scenic transition town of Totnes in Devon. You can find our team of plantmilk lovers at:
11 Burke Road
Totnes
Devon
TQ9 5XL

The Short Version: You can’t (just kidding!). Our phone number is: 01803863000

The Long Version: The reason you don’t see our number listed anywhere directly on our contact page isn’t because we don’t have one! It’s actually for your benefit, our telephone isn’t manned constantly and so we might not be able to catch every call, instead the easiest way to get in touch is via email or our web chat!