Milk bag

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Israeli milk bags Israeli Milk Bag.jpg
Israeli milk bags
Neilson Dairy milk bags and cartons, Ontario, Canada Bagged Milk in Store (3293358107).jpg
Neilson Dairy milk bags and cartons, Ontario, Canada

A milk bag is a plastic bag that contains milk. Usually one of the corners is cut off to allow for pouring, and the bag is stored in a pitcher or jug.

Contents

A typical milk bag contains approximately 1 L (1.8 imp pt) of milk in South America, Iran, Israel, and continental European countries, while in Canada they contain 1+13 litres (2.3 imp pt), and in India, 0.5 L (0.9 imp pt). [1]

In the Baltic rim countries, e.g., Estonia, and some Eastern European countries, the similar bags may also be seen used for packaging yogurt or kefir.

Benefits

The principal benefits of bagged milk are economy and freshness. For producers, it is easier to vary portion size when sealing bags than cartons, as well as lowering the cost of packaging. Milk bags also take up less space in the garbage. For consumers, bags typically allow for smaller portion sizes. This theoretically reduces the risk of spoilage, as well as the space and location of storage in the fridge. [2]

Recycling

While milk bags use less plastic than standard plastic bottles or jugs, empty bags are often not accepted for recycling when mixed with other plastics. [3] In Canada, where recycling services are municipally or regionally managed, milk bags may not always be recycled. In some municipalities milk bags are required to be discarded as garbage [4] and in others they are recyclable. [5]

By country and region

This is not an exhaustive list of all the countries where bagged milk is commonly sold.

Canada

A milk bag in Canada Milkbag.jpg
A milk bag in Canada

In Canada, before the late 1960s, milk was packaged in heavy, reusable Imperial unit glass milk bottles and later cardboard cartons and plastic jugs. In 1967, DuPont, using European equipment, introduced plastic bags to store and sell milk. For Metrication in Canada in the 1970s, bottles, jugs, and cartons had to be thrown out, re-designed, and manufactured in metric units, while milk bag packaging machines could easily be resized. [6] [7] [8]

The milk bags found favour with the domestic dairy industry, being lighter and less fragile than glass bottles. However, the consumer public preferred plastic jugs for years, but largely accepted the new containers in parts of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes in the 1970s. [9] Regulation in Ontario that required retailers to collect a deposit on milk jugs, but not bags, also motivated the practice. [10]

Milk bags are sold in parts of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, but no longer widely sold in western Canada, in Newfoundland and Labrador, or the territories. [9]

Israel

Plastic pitcher for a milk bag in Israel Milk Bag Plastic Pitcher.jpg
Plastic pitcher for a milk bag in Israel

In Israel, milk in a bag is the most common type of packaging for milk. They became the standard form of milk packaging in the 1960s, with the discontinuation of glass bottles. In Israel, the milk bag is a regulated product, which means that its price is controlled by the state. Therefore, there are price differences between the milk bags and the other alternatives available for marketing milk — plastic bottles or milk cartons. Due to the price differences, a relationship was observed between the socioeconomic status of the consumer and the type of milk container that they customarily purchased. The higher the socio-economic status of the purchaser, the more likely they are to buy milk in cartons rather than in bags, despite the higher price of cartons. Based on these differences, Blue Square Network created a way to measure the socioeconomic status of an area based on the sales ratio of milk cartons versus bagged milk. The higher the ratio of the former to the latter, the higher the status of the region in Israel. [11] For religious Jews, opening a bag of milk can be considered problematic on Shabbat, because the action requires cutting. Eli Yishai, Israel's former minister of internal affairs, used empty milk bags in the Knesset as props to complain about price-hikes in the cost of milk. [12]

South America

Milk bag packaging machine Milk bag packaging machine.jpg
Milk bag packaging machine

Milk bags are also commonly used in Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. [13]

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Sainsbury's began a pilot experiment on distributing milk in bags in 2008 in conjunction with Dairy Crest. [14] It was originally targeted at 35 stores at the same price as a regular 2-imperial-pint (1.1 L) plastic bottle of milk. [15] The product was expanded nationwide in 2010, at which point the bags retailed at a discounted price compared to traditional containers, [16] [17] but stopped in early 2015. [18]

United States

DuPont introduced milk bags to American schools in 1989, and by 1993 3 million pouches a day were being served in 24 states. [19] However, the popularity of them waned. There appears to only be one, verified school district in Omaha, NE using bagged milk as recently as 2015. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk</span> White liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals

Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals and the caecilian Siphonops annulatus. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulating components in milk contribute to milk immunity. Early-lactation milk, which is called colostrum, contains antibodies that strengthen the immune system and thus reduce the risk of many diseases. Milk contains many nutrients, including protein and lactose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reuse of bottles</span> Waste management

A reusable bottle is a bottle that can be reused, as in the case as by the original bottler or by end-use consumers. Reusable bottles have grown in popularity by consumers for both environmental and health safety reasons. Reusable bottles are one example of reusable packaging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carton</span> Type of domestic container

A carton is a box or container usually made of liquid packaging board, paperboard and sometimes of corrugated fiberboard. Many types of cartons are used in packaging. Sometimes a carton is also called a box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Container-deposit legislation</span> Return of beverage containers for refund

Container-deposit legislation is any law that requires the collection of a monetary deposit on beverage containers at the point of sale and/or the payment of refund value to the consumers. When the container is returned to an authorized redemption center, or retailer in some jurisdictions, the deposit is partly or fully refunded to the redeemer. It is a deposit-refund system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic shopping bag</span> Type of shopping bag

Plastic shopping bags, carrier bags, or plastic grocery bags are a type of plastic bag used as shopping bags and made from various kinds of plastic. In use by consumers worldwide since the 1960s, these bags are sometimes called single-use bags, referring to carrying items from a store to a home. However, it is rare for bags to be worn out after single use and in the past some retailers incentivised customers to reuse 'single use' bags by offering loyalty points to those doing so. Even after they are no longer used for shopping, reuse for storage or trash is common, and modern plastic shopping bags are increasingly recyclable or compostable. In recent decades, numerous countries have introduced legislation restricting the provision of plastic bags, in a bid to reduce littering and plastic pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic bag</span> Type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile

A plastic bag, poly bag, or pouch is a type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, chemicals, and waste. It is a common form of packaging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bin bag</span> Disposable bag used to contain solid waste material

A bin bag, rubbish bag, garbage bag, bin liner, trash bag or refuse sack is a disposable bag used to contain solid waste. Many bags are useful to line the insides of waste containers to prevent the insides of the receptacle from becoming coated in waste material. Most bags today are made out of plastic, and are typically black, white, or green in color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass milk bottle</span>

Glass milk bottles are glass bottles used for milk. They are reusable and returnable - used mainly for doorstep delivery of fresh milk by milkmen. Once customers have finished the milk, empty bottles are expected to be rinsed and left on the doorstep for collection, or rinsed bottles may be returned to a participating retail store. Bottle sizes vary depending on region, but common sizes include pint, quart or litre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic milk container</span> Plastic bottle used to store commercially sold milk

Plastic milk containers are plastic containers for storing, shipping and dispensing milk. Plastic bottles, sometimes called jugs, have largely replaced glass bottles for home consumption. Glass milk bottles have traditionally been reusable while light-weight plastic bottles are designed for single trips and plastic recycling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reuse</span> Using again

Reuse is the action or practice of using an item, whether for its original purpose or to fulfill a different function. It should be distinguished from recycling, which is the breaking down of used items to make raw materials for the manufacture of new products. Reuse – by taking, but not reprocessing, previously used items – helps save time, money, energy and resources. In broader economic terms, it can make quality products available to people and organizations with limited means, while generating jobs and business activity that contribute to the economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recycling in Canada</span>

This article outlines the position and trends of recycling in Canada. Since the 1980s, most mid to large municipalities in most provinces have recycling programs, relying on curbside collection with either bins, boxes, or bags. These systems are not standardized, and the specific process differs for each province. Certain provinces have container-deposit systems in place for bottles, cans, and other beverage containers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic bottle</span> Narrow-necked container

A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink. The size ranges from very small bottles to large carboys. Consumer blow molded containers often have integral handles or are shaped to facilitate grasping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Container deposit legislation in the United States</span> Overview of the container deposit legislation in United States of America

There are ten states in the United States of America with container deposit legislation, popularly called "bottle bills" after the Oregon Bottle Bill, the first such legislation that was passed.

Ecologic Brands Inc. is a United States company that specializes in creating eco-friendly packaging solutions for consumer products. The products are made from sustainable materials and are designed to be recyclable or compostable. The company also provides branding and marketing services to help companies promote their environmentally conscious products.

A low plastic water bottle is one that uses less plastic than a regular water bottle, typically by having the same internal volume but being made from thinner plastic. Some such bottles have less than half the plastic of a regular water bottle.

Bottles are able to be recycled and this is generally a positive option. Bottles are collected via kerbside collection or returned using a bottle deposit system. Currently just over half of plastic bottles are recycled globally. About 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and only about 50% are recycled.

Reusable packaging is manufactured of durable materials and is specifically designed for multiple trips and extended life. A reusable package or container is "designed for reuse without impairment of its protective function." The term returnable is sometimes used interchangeably but it can also include returning packages or components for other than reuse: recycling, disposal, incineration, etc. Typically, the materials used to make returnable packaging include steel, wood, polypropylene sheets or other plastic materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Package handle</span> Packaging component

Package handles, or carriers, are used to help people use packaging. They are designed to simplify and to improve the ergonomics of lifting and carrying packages. Handles on consumer packages add convenience and help facilitate use and pouring. The effect of handles on package material costs and the packaging line efficiencies are also critical. A handle can be defined as “an accessory attached to a container or part for the purpose of holding or carrying.” Sometimes a handle can be used to hang a package for dispensing or use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Packaging waste</span> Post-use container and packing refuse

Packaging waste, the part of the waste that consists of packaging and packaging material, is a major part of the total global waste, and the major part of the packaging waste consists of single-use plastic food packaging, a hallmark of throwaway culture. Notable examples for which the need for regulation was recognized early, are "containers of liquids for human consumption", i.e. plastic bottles and the like. In Europe, the Germans top the list of packaging waste producers with more than 220 kilos of packaging per capita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow sack</span> Standard waste container in Germany and Austria

In Germany and Austria, the term yellow bag refers to a thin, yellowish transparent plastic bag, in which, in the context of local waste disposal, any waste made of plastic, metal or composite materials can be handed in. Depending on the agreement with the cities and municipalities, it may also be possible to use a 'yellow bin'. Yellow bags or yellow bins are part of the Dual System in the German waste management industry.

References

  1. Washburn, Devin; Sumar, Sai. "What's up with Bagged Milk?". Lucky Peach. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  2. Nosowitz, Dan (2015-10-20). "What's The Point Of Milk That Comes In Plastic Bags?". Modern Farmer . Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  3. "Can I Recycle Plastic Bags in the Recycling Bin?". Plastics Make it Possible. 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  4. "City of Ottawa - Recycling and Garbage - Milk Bags". App06.ottawa.ca. Archived from the original on 2015-05-03. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  5. "Recycling List - City of Peterborough" (PDF). peterborough.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  6. Jackson, Lisa (27 Feb 2017). "Why Do Canadians Drink Bagged Milk?". www.foodnetwork.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  7. Gibson, Brittany (2021-07-09). "This Is Why Canadians Drink Milk Out of Bags". Reader's Digest -US. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  8. Houck, Brenna (2019-10-21). "Why America's Milk Is Sold in Cartons, Not Bags". Eater. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  9. 1 2 Kelly, Cathal (2010-02-04). "So we drink milk from bags. Does that make us weird?". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  10. Heydari, Anis (January 2, 2020). "Here's why milk comes in bags in parts of Canada". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  11. Yefet, Orna (8 Dec 2003). "L-2834517,00.html On the relationship between buying milk and socioeconomic status". www.ynet.co.il. Retrieved 1 May 2018.[ dead link ]
  12. "הכנסת: אלי ישי הניף שקית חלב במחאה על ייקור מחירה" [Knesset: Eli Yishai waved a bag of milk in protest of a price increase.]. Ynet (in Hebrew). 2005-01-31. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  13. Chertoff, Emily (2012-08-01). "The Surprising History of the Milk Carton". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  14. Blades, Hollye (2008-06-09). "Pinta goes green as supermarkets offer shoppers the chance to buy milk in a bag". The Times. London. Retrieved 16 Aug 2021.
  15. Neate, Rupert (2008-06-09). "Milk in bags hits Sainsbury's shelves". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  16. Wallop, Harry (2010-02-24). "Milk in a bag at Sainsbury's". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2012-11-14.
  17. "Jug It says it has nationwide success" . www.fponthenet.net. Food Processing Magazine. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  18. "Sainsburys discontinues Milk bags - X / Twitter". Twitter . Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  19. O'Harrow, Robert (1993-09-11). "SCHOOL MILK CARTONS MAY FACE EXPULSION -US". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  20. Schools replace milk carton with milk bags , retrieved 2022-09-12

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