Saving an estimated 10,000 plastic bottles a year, LPC is excited to join the Spout milk program.

With the introduction of dedicated milk taps across our sites, we eliminated plastic milk bottles being brought to LPC, and eventually entering waste streams.

Milk is now provided through spouts in our breakrooms, stored in reusable metal kegs, supplied from one farm in Springston.

The idea started when three young Kiwis discovered how many plastic bottles were thrown away each year and realised there must be a better way of doing things.

Now they are helping businesses across the South Island on their sustainable journeys.

Co-founder Nick Jackson says they are excited to partner with LPC to help reduce waste.

“It’s fantastic to see a key Christchurch institution become a leader in sustainability and we hope that other businesses follow in their footsteps.”

LPC is always looking for new sustainability initiatives to help us reach our goal of zero waste to landfill by 2040, recently introducing a soft plastic recycling bin.

LPC Facilities Manager Paul Else says from start to finish, it’s been a great success.

“Working with Spout, along with OCS, who are facilitating the upkeep of the taps, has been fantastic.

“It’s been a big change in the way we do things, but the feedback has been amazing, and we are proud to support the reduction of single-use plastic,” says Paul.

For the Spout team, change is one of their biggest barriers.

“Some organisations have complicated processes for making changes and require approval from many different people.

“Despite their size, LPC showed that a large organisation can overcome these challenges by making sustainability a company-wide focus and getting all the key decision-makers on the same page,” says Nick

With sustainability on the minds of many New Zealanders, Spout is looking to continue to help businesses move to more eco-friendly options.

“Currently, Spout supplies customers across Otago and Canterbury but, we plan to expand into the North Island in the near future,” says Nick.

“We are also exploring how we can expand our range of milks to include plant-based products that cater to different customers.”