How dairy farmers upcycle to save the planet (and you can too)

Imagine turning everyday items into something new and useful, all while helping the environment. That’s the power of upcycling.

So, what is upcycling? If you care about the planet, chances are you’re already upcycling at home to reduce waste and conserve resources. Upcycling can look like many things. Maybe you reuse the plastic bag your tortillas came in to hold last night’s leftovers or you paint your old dresser to give it a fresh look instead of buying a new one. However you choose to do it, this eco-friendly practice can help the planet.

Did you know dairy farmers upcycle on their farms, too? (You’re more like your average dairy farmer than you thought.) 

At Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), our 9,500 farmer-owners are serious about sustainability. Every farm looks a little bit different, and they all care for the planet in various ways. A common practice on all farms is upcycling because it’s efficient and saves resources.

How upcycling helps the environment

• Reduces waste. It diverts waste from landfills, reducing the amount of garbage that contributes to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By finding new uses for old items, we can decrease the volume of waste that ends up in landfills
• Conserves resources. It reduces the need for new, raw materials, conserving natural resources such as timber and water. This sustainable practice helps preserve ecosystems and reduces environmental impact
• Saves energy. Manufacturing new products from raw materials requires significant energy. Upcycling, on the other hand, often uses less energy because it involves modifying existing materials rather than creating new ones from scratch
• Promotes creativity and innovation. It encourages us to think creatively and find innovative solutions to repurpose materials. This creativity can lead to unique and functional products that add value to our lives
• Reduces your carbon footprint. Upcycling extends the life of products, delaying disposal and reducing the need to buy new things, which helps keep our overall carbon footprint in check

Upcycle vs. recycle: What’s the difference?

Upcycling and recycling might sound similar, but they're more like cousins than twins.

Recycling breaks down materials like plastic, glass and paper to create something new. Think of it as turning an old bottle into a new one. Upcycling, on the other hand, is about getting creative and giving old items a new — often better — purpose. It's like turning an old ladder into a funky bookshelf or using wine corks to make a cool bulletin board.

So, while recycling is great for managing waste, upcycling adds some creativity and fun to sustainability.

So, how do dairy farmers upcycle on their farms?

Our farmers regularly practice upcycling on their dairy farms because it promotes resourcefulness, waste reduction and environmental stewardship.

Some common ways dairy farmers upcycle on the farm

• Feeding cows food byproducts: Dairy farmers often feed their cows food byproducts that are indigestible to humans but delicious and nutritious to a dairy cow, like cottonseed hulls, almond shells, brewers’ grain, cull carrots, cull sugar beets, coffee grounds and beet pulp. Often, this food waste is produce or leftover products that people typically don’t eat. Thanks to their upcycling efforts not only does the food not go to waste, but neither does all the water and energy it took to grow it — not to mention the greenhouse gas emissions produced when it ends up in landfills
• Reusing old tires: Dairy farmers keep old tires from going to the landfill and repurpose them as wind breaks and to weigh down plastic coverings protecting feed
• Fabricating and repairing anything and everything: Dairy farmers wear many hats and often that’s a mechanic’s hat. They’re masters at making repairs or finagling new creations to solve problems around the farm using what they have on hand — whether that’s repairing a fence or patching a calf hutch

Dairy farmers use many additional sustainable practices on their farms, such as recycling water up to four times, making renewable energy from unexpected sources (manure!), using regenerative agriculture practices and finding ways to conserve energy. They make efforts both big and small, but every endeavor helps contribute to a more sustainable future, just like every environmental effort you make in your own life.

Upcycling ideas you can do at home

There are countless options to repurpose things at home and reuse what you already have in new ways. By getting creative, you can repurpose everyday items into something unique and useful.

Some dairy and farm-inspired DIY upcycling ideas include:

• Milk jugs: Transform empty milk cartons into bird feeders, storage containers or watering cans
• Milk cartons: Convert empty milk cartons into planters, bird feeders or pencil holders
• Glass jars: Upcycle glass jars from dairy and other food products as storage containers for spices, grains, pasta, homemade jams and anything else you can think of. They also make great drinking glasses and home décor. Turn them into decorative candle holders or vases
• Cheese wax: Melt down the wax coating on cheese to make candles or seal jars. You can also mold it into shapes for crafts or used as a fire starter
• Butter wrappers: Butter wrappers have many uses in the kitchen to infuse extra buttery goodness into your cooking. Separate hamburger patties with empty butter wrappers for easy grilling or when freezing. Grease baking pans, season cast-iron pans, wrap up homemade baked goods or candies — the options are limitless
• Feed bags: If you have skills with a sewing machine, sew empty feed bags into reusable shopping bags, aprons or storage sacks. They’re durable and can be used for various purposes
• Old tires: Take inspiration from dairy farmers reusing old tires on the farm and transform them into planters, swings or even as the base for a DIY ottoman in your home
• Furniture: Give old furniture new life with a fresh coat of paint, new upholstery or by repurposing it for a different use. For example, turn an old dresser into a vanity or transform an old door into a stylish headboard for your bed
• Clothes: Cut worn-out clothes into rags for cleaning, sew them into quilts, use them for craft projects or donate them to organizations that upcycle textiles
• Produce containers: Plastic cartons (from strawberries, blueberries or raspberries) can help organize and clean-up your junk drawer by holding cords, rubber bands and more

Whether you’re getting creative at home or a dairy farmer is finding innovative solutions on the farm, we can all help save the planet — one upcycle at a time.