Got flat milk?

You know when you sit down with a warm chocolate chip cookie and just can’t wait for a nice cold sheet of milk?

Wait — that’s not right.

But it is if you ask plant-based milk brand Milkadamia, which is launching Flat Pack, a square sheet of oat milk, per Inc.

• The company turns oat milk into sheets using a proprietary 2D-printing process.
• Each sheet makes 8 fluid ounces of oat milk when blended with water, and can be torn into pieces for smaller quantities or soaked in water overnight for easier mixing.
• The flat-packing process cuts out traditional cartons, bringing the company closer to its goal of lowering packaging waste by up to 94%.
• It also lowers the packaging weight by 85%. The vacuum-sealed packs are 10 times lighter than the average two-pound carton of milk.

Packaging waste is a problem far bigger than a single brand: Food packaging generates 78m+ metric tons of plastic waste annually, and only 14% gets recycled. 

Milking it

While it’s the latest brand to try its hand at the concept, Milkadamia didn’t invent 2D milk.

• German company Veganz licensed tech from Vitiprints, a 2D-printing company, to create its Mililk oat milk sheets.
• Outside of the milk category, Slice of Sauce created a dehydrated condiment line. (“Shark Tank” spoiler: the product never came to market.)

Being one of the first products to market in a burgeoning industry has its pros, but also its cons: Milkadamia needs to teach consumers about its product before they’ll buy it.

While the appetite for sheets of milk is still in question, there’s a proven hunger for sustainability: 92% of shoppers consider it an important factor when choosing a brand, according to a 2023 NielsenIQ report.

Most importantly: This could spell the end of crying over spilled milk.