FAQ

Single-handedly, no. But together, we can fight climate change!

By purchasing a carton of any Neutral product, you’ve contributed to radically reducing carbon emissions that pollute the atmosphere and cause it to trap heat, making our planet considerably hotter over time. Accredited climate scientists across the globe agree - The buildup of trapped pollutants in our atmosphere not only leads to heat waves but to more dastardly global climate disasters like tropical storms, drought, and the destruction of wildlife ecosystems. Cow products make up nearly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions so Neutral started with dairy.

Our mission is about more than offsetting our carbon footprint. We want to eliminate it, entirely. Investing in on-farm carbon reduction work is the key to shrinking the footprint of our agricultural products, part of the larger battle against climate change.

Carbon neutral means net zero carbon emissions produced in the creation of a product throughout its lifecycle. To ensure Neutral products really are carbon neutral, we began by evaluating the greenhouse gases emitted at every stage of our product’s lifecycle. Since 72% of the greenhouse gases embodied in Neutral’s products are emitted at the farm, that’s where we focus our direct investment, oversight and monitoring of carbon reduction projects. These projects utilize diverse carbon reduction tactics related to feeding strategies, nutrient and manure management, cover crops, and conservation tillage.

To us, being certified carbon neutral means that all of the science and math behind our claims have been rigorously examined and ultimately verified by an independent third-party. Neutral products are certified carbon neutral by SCS Global Services. While many carbon claims are self-reported, being certified means that our carbon claims have passed a stringent set of requirements defined and verified by independent standard bearers. This provides an added level of conviction that our products have not increased greenhouse gas emissions. Our most recent certification from SCS can be found here.

A carbon footprint includes the total greenhouse gases emitted from the entire lifecycle of any product or service. For Neutral, that means considering every aspect of our milk, from before it’s even milk: emissions of the fertilizer used on farms, the cows and greenhouse gasses they make, transportation to the bottling plant, energy to bottle and pack it, the packaging it’s placed in, your trip from the store to home, and the disposing of the carton when you’re finished.

Calculating Neutral’s footprint isn’t just counting cow burps and farts. Although, that’s part of it. We collaborate with top veteran researchers like Dr. Greg Thoma, an expert on the carbon footprint of U.S. dairy, to develop a Life Cycle Assessment Model for Neutral that provides robust, conservative estimates of climate impact throughout each of our product’s lifecycle.

A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. While we work with farmers to reduce the carbon footprint of our milk, we recognize the role that high-quality offsets can play to make our milk 100% carbon neutral. We purchase offsets from pioneering dairy farmers who are turning cow manure into renewable energy right there on their farm via a piece of equipment called an anaerobic digester.

Neutral exclusively acquires offsets that are verified by the Climate Action Reserve (CAR), American Carbon Registry, and VERRA. Verifying our offsets through accredited auditors ensures the carbon offset projects we support are real, additional, permanent, verifiable, and enforceable. It also minimizes any risk of invalid creation or double counting of Climate Reserve Tons.

Yes, our milk is pasteurized in accordance with the strictest of local safety regulations. Neutral milk is High Temperature Short Time (HTST) pasteurized which means it’s brought to a minimum of 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds before being cooled to 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Some Neutral products like Half & Half are ultra-pasteurized, which means bringing the milk to a minimum of 280 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 seconds before being cooled to the required 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Ultra-pasteurized milk results in a longer shelf life while many baristas, chefs and bakers prefer the lower pasteurization temperature of HTST, but both pasteurization processes result in a product that’s ready for you to drink and is 99.9% bacteria free.

Neutral offers USDA Organic certified options in limited geographies in Whole Milk, 2% Milk, and Half & Half varieties. That means our cows are organically raised, without GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics, or added hormones.

Neutral milk primarily comes from both Holstein & Jersey Cows.

To bring you the best organic milk, we work with the best dairy farmers across the country. Most of our farmers are family-run operations going back several generations.

The Neutral Team discussed masterfully producing a multitude of psychedelic indie rock albums like our friends in Neutral Milk Hotel. Despite our musical talent we prioritized revolutionizing carbon neutral milk products first. That said, you’re not the only one wondering…