Have you heard of Renewal Mill? This company takes the byproducts from food manufacturing and turns them into completely new and delicious products! Most recently, they've turned one of our favorite vegan butter company's waste into yummy soft-baked cookies.

Renewal Mill and Its Upcycled Pantry

Food waste is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Renewal Mill is well aware of that. So, they've decided to close the loop in the supply chain by taking all of that waste and putting it to good use!

One wasteful industry you may not have thought of is the plant-based milk industry. After the milk is produced, companies are often left with a lot of plant fiber that has been filtered out of the beverage.

That's why Renewal Mill has taken the soybean pulp leftover from soy milk production (known as 'okara') and used it as the main 'flour' in their baking mixes! A 1/2 cup portion of okara flour contains 20g of fiber, 7g of protein, and just 3g of net carbs.

“In Japan, if you made soy milk at home, you would never throw away the okara. You would sauté it with vegetables to make a side dish or use it in baking, such as savory pancakes,” shared Renewal Mill Co-Founder Caroline Cotto.

They also upcycle the fiber left behind after oat milk is produced, and turn it into a gluten-free flour that is available for purchase on their site. This product is even more nutritionally impressive, at 31g of protein, 13g of fiber, and 22g of carbs per 1/2 cup serving!

All of Renewal Mill's products are also gluten-free, 100% vegan, and made with non-GMO ingredients.

The Miyoko's Cookie Collaboration

So, how did Renewal Mill end up using Miyoko's beloved European Style Cultured Vegan Butter in their new cookies? This upcycled food company is aware that the best ways to manage global warming are by reducing food waste and sticking to plant-based foods. So, naturally, they wanted to keep all their products totally plant-based. Miyoko's Creamery is aligned with their eco-friendly values, focused on producing natural, high-quality vegan products with minimal ingredients.

So, Alice Medrich, a product developer at Renewal Mill, whipped up a delicious recipe including key ingredients like Miyoko's leftover vegan butter, as well as their upcycled organic okara flour and oat flour. The end product is totally Upcycled Certified, gluten free, non-GMO, plastic negative, and of course, vegan.

You can shop Miyoko's and Renewal Mills' cookies, available in Chocolate Chip and Salted Peanut Butter flavors below:

The Rise of Upcycled Food Waste

Although Renewal Mill is a huge player in the upcycled food movement, they aren't the only company fighting food waste! We've previously written about Veles, a company that produces an all-purpose cleaner made of 97% food waste. It's ultra-effective, made with only natural ingredients, and comes in a sustainable aluminum bottle to further protect our planet.

You also may have heard of Imperfect Foods, an online grocery store that offers you the fresh produce that has been rejected at supermarkets for being too large, too small, or having light bruises or cosmetic imperfections.

Outcast Foods sells vegan and Upcycled Certified protein powders made with rescued produce that had been destined for landfills. And finally, Bybi is a vegan beauty brand that uses upcycled ingredients in over 50% of their product range! Their supplier sterilizes and cold presses fruit seeds discarded by the juice industry to produce nourishing, skin-loving oils.

By supporting sustainable companies that fight food waste, we can push for a more circular food economy and significantly reduce our carbon footprint! So, next time, you could try looking for the new 'Upcycled Certified' logo on your foods to start making a big difference.

Will you try Renewal Mill's new cookies made with Miyoko's vegan butter? Let us know what you think of this collaboration in the comments below!

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