News, Solution, or Mess? A Milk Jug for a Green Earth. (paper, bottle)

[tcrackly]

Funny, I fondly remember home delivered milk in square shaped GLASS bottles. Square for shipping ease, glass for cleanliness and the ability to be reused. Perhaps we need to go back to that.

[Samrai309]

I just recently went to a farmer's market and there was a dairy selling milk in glass jugs. They were sort of a local dairy and actually had limited delivery too. I could purchase the milk and bring the milk jugs back to them to get my deposit back, or exchange for more milk. They get the milk from a dairy up near Syracuse, NY. The milk tasted great. The problem was a half gallon cost about 3.50 and the deposit was 1.00 a bottle. IMO, at that price, that would be considered more of a novelty for me to get the milk considering I have to drive about 20 mins to get it from them, or go to the store down my block and get a gallon for 2.99. The milk did taste good though from that glass bottle.

[AL MARTIN]

In South Africa we have been using milk in sachets or bags for 30 odd years. Despite it costing a lot less and using 20% of the plastic of screw tops and none of the dangerous waxes of cartons it still only commands 35% of the market. This is largely due to the mess and spillage associated with their use. Along has come a product called the CLIP IT milk sachet jug. This patented jug has won numerous design awards and makes using sachets so easy. Cheap, hygienic and environmentally friendly. See: http://www.msbdesign.co.za

[tcrackly]

Originally Posted by KarenBo

What's wrong with the waxed paper milk containers? Are these more or less recyclable than those?

My sentiments as well. they were a perfectly fine biodegradable container that also sustained a flagging paper industry.

[tcrackly]

Originally Posted by Samrai309

I just recently went to a farmer's market and there was a dairy selling milk in glass jugs. They were sort of a local dairy and actually had limited delivery too. I could purchase the milk and bring the milk jugs back to them to get my deposit back, or exchange for more milk. They get the milk from a dairy up near Syracuse, NY. The milk tasted great. The problem was a half gallon cost about 3.50 and the deposit was 1.00 a bottle. IMO, at that price, that would be considered more of a novelty for me to get the milk considering I have to drive about 20 mins to get it from them, or go to the store down my block and get a gallon for 2.99. The milk did taste good though from that glass bottle.

Glass bottled milk does taste better.

[bustaduke]

Originally Posted by tcrackly

Glass bottled milk does taste better.

even better right from the teet.


busta

[tcrackly]

I like it chilled first.

[joe moving]

When you say paper wax do you mean the regular rectangular half gallon container... I am not under the impression that this can be recycled?

[tcrackly]

That's because once upon a time they were WAX sealed cardboard and not the plasticized petroleum wax that covers cartons of milk now.

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by tcrackly

Funny, I fondly remember home delivered milk in square shaped GLASS bottles. Square for shipping ease, glass for cleanliness and the ability to be reused. Perhaps we need to go back to that.

Absolutely. You could eliminate plastic completely by replacing the jugs of plastic with jugs of glass. Liquid companies could start their own recycle program in that city and save themselves money by crushing the glass and remelting it into their own container. Or a 3rd party vendor could do it. Good idea crackly.