eli5 why do so many of the “health conscious” and “environmentally friendly” alternative milks, oat, almond and soy, come packaged in the most complex cartons ever?

Question

Am I just wrong about how long it takes for these packages to decompose? Why do dairy producers seem to have a monopoly on paper cartons?

In: 0

Answer 1

Dairy milk gets purchased frequently so it can come in flimsy cartons that require refrigeration. Oat milk may sit on the shelf for months, and as such needs a package that allows it to be shelf stable. In places that sell ultra-pasteurized dairy milk which is shelf stable it is sold in the same packages as alternative milks.