Oliver Day, a fourth generation dairy farmer in Chilcompton, has set up a milk vending machine outside Chilcompton Village Hall to encourage the community to cut out single use plastic, using glass bottles to refill milk instead. The idea is beginning to catch on with other dairies, too, with Brookes News, in Midsomer Norton, also stocking fresh milk; encouraging people to bring their own containers, sourced from

Chew Valley Dairy.

Oliver told The Journal: “The milk vending machine has been running for a year now. The village hall is the hub of the community, so I had to ask permission from the village hall committee before placing the machine at the front of it.

“People are able to bring whatever container they like to fill up their milk, but we supply both litre and half litre glass bottles within the vending machine.

We encourage people to take these away and continue to use them, which is a better alternative to using plastic – plus it keeps the milk cold.”

“The milk is pasteurised, so it is very different to supermarkets – theirs can be from many different farms across the country. This is why ours is a much more sustainable and environmentally friendly choice.

“The machine makes sure that our money is kept within the community and economy; it also enables people to know exactly where their milk is from and how the cows are treated, so they know exactly what they are consuming.”

Ollie donates some of the milk that he produces to events that are happening at the village hall and school. As the village school is just around the corner from the vending machine, it is a great way to teach the children to use more environmentally friendly containers in a bid to do their part in helping to stop global warming.

Ollie adds: “People have reacted really well to the vending machine.

“It has been an amazing new feature within the community that everyone can use, as it is open twenty-four hours a day. A lot of families in the village, and wider communities, use it, which is equally great to see.

“I have noted that it does about 120 litres a day. I think people just love that it is local produce, and does not need any plastic.”

The small, traditional farm consists of just fifty cows, which are free to graze for the majority of the year on pastures containing grass, wildflowers and herbs. Ollie tells The Journal: “There are times of the year where the cows have to come indoors as the grass growth stops and the fields become too wet, although, their main diet is still conserved grass silage.

“Our milk is not organic, but the farming methods we use mean that we do not have to use a lot of fertiliser or pesticides; because of this, our cows have much healthier and happier lives, with less need for antibiotics, and it helps with biodiversity and the environment, as well as health in society.”

If more milk dispensary machines were able to be distributed throughout the UK, and localised to farms, perhaps it could be an aid in helping the climate, removing the need for milk to travel, lowering farms’ carbon footprint, as well as making sure farmers see more money.

When asking Ollie if he has thought about adding more vending machines across Somerset, he said: “I want to see how well this one does for a bit longer, before I start to put them everywhere.

“It would be great, but I would need to find a good place and then seek the necessary permission to do so. The machines are really expensive to put into place, so we shall see.”

Ollie fills up the machine every morning at 6 a.m., before the school and work runs, which means the milk is fresh daily. Something that is both good for us, and our environment.

Similarly, a fresh milk dispenser can now be found at Brookes News, on Redfield Road, Midsomer Norton.

The dispenser is filled daily with semi-skimmed and full fat milk from Chew Valley dairy.

Proprietor, Hilary Jones, brought in the initiative in a bid to reduce single use plastic.

Brookes News sell glass milk bottles and, much like Ollie, encourage customers to wash out and re-use them, or other containers, on their next visit. As part of the arrival of the machine, Brookes are now looking at other ways they can make the business more sustainable, such as the packaging they use.

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