Hi Nikki,
I have a couple things out with data on the environmental impact of infant
formula.
There is an article on my website, *Mother Nature Loves Breastmilk*, at
http://platypusmedia.com/articles#mothernature
Here's a small piece that appears in Breastfeeding At a
Glance<http://platypusmedia.com/breastfeeding-at-a-glance>
:
*Is Breastmilk Green?*
Human milk is produced and delivered to the consumer without any pollution,
unnecessary packaging or waste. Most of the focus on the environmental
effect
of newborns is concentrated on the debate between cloth vs. disposable
diapers,
but the environmental consequences of formula feeding have far
greater impact. Large amounts of water, fuel, paper, glass, plastic and
rubber are
required in the production, shipping and preparation of
formula.Additionally, formula
feeding produces significant amounts of solid waste. Substituting cow’s
milk for human milk is costly, causes waste and uses valuable resources.
For example, each year in the US, over half a million women formula feed
their
babies from birth. If just these mothers breastfed for a full year (with
solids
introduced after six months), these valuable resources would be saved:
• 25 million pounds of steel from formula cans
• 2.5 million pounds of paper
• 2.5 million pounds of HDPE from plastic milk containers
• 27 million gallons of milk, requiring 465 million pounds of dairy feed to
produce
• 6 million gallons of oil for production, transportation and refrigeration
• 135 million pounds of carbon dioxide produced by the use of those 6
million
gallons of oil, requiring 35,000 acres of forest to absorb
Baumslag, N. and Michels, D., Milk, Money & Madness:The Culture and
Politics of Breastfeeding. Bergin & Garvey,Westport, CT, 1995.
Motherwear. Business Unusual. Northampton, MA, 2000. Online at:
www.motherwear.com.
Let me know if I can help in any other way!
- Dia
__________________________________________
Dia L. Michels
Platypus Media -- Resources for Families, Teachers and Parenting
Professionals
725 8th Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
202-546-1674
Toll-free: 1-877-PLATYPS (1-877-752-8977)
Fax: 202-546-2356
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www.PlatypusMedia.com
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From: [log in to unmask]
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Subject: Environmental Impact of Infant Formula - need data
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 02:15:30 -0400
Hi All.
I am working on my MPH and am developing my final Environmental Health
project. The topic is focused on the environmental factors that surround
infant formula feeding - to include the ecological footprint created by
bottle manufacturing, tin waste, paper waste, plastic waste, methane
emissions, cattle grain production, deforestation, water and soil
contamination.
In my search for data, I have come across plenty of anecdotal (non-sourced)
articles and blog posts regarding how breastfeeding is better for the
environment than formula feeding. If anyone has any professional research
article references on this topic, I would greatly appreciate the help. So
far, my search for scholarly info on this topic has yielded nil.
Kind regards and many thanks,
Nikki Killings CLC, LLLL
Northern VA,USA
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