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Case-less is the New Milk Packaging
Walmart’s discount club store, Sam’s Club has recently come out with their way of helping out the Earth, cutting back on resources and materials used to package milk by selling their milk in square, case-less jugs. While Europeans have begun reintroducing their people to the pouch-style packaging I remember from my grade school days, Sam’s Club’s newest case-less milk jugs are now being sold in over 189 stores since their trend first hit stores in November.
Their eco-friendly packaging will not only cut back on resources and materials used to package milk, but more milk–9% more, in fact or 384 more jugs of milk per truck, will be able to be accommodated in shipping, cutting back on fuel used in trucks to drive the milk to its destination. Sam’s Club, and any other store that begins stocking these jugs of milk, can also fit more milk into the cooler with a casing that is more compact.
Not only does this change benefit the Earth, it will also benefit Sam’s Club customers. Sam’s Club estimates that this new packaging will save their customers between 10 to 20 cents per jug of milk and if you buy milk as often or in large quantities, as many people with children always find themselves doing, the savings of 10 to 20 cents is going to save you quite a bit in the long run; approximately $1 for every 5 jugs of milk you buy.
While I am not a Sam’s Club shopper, I haven’t come across the new milk jug design in order to try it out for myself, but an article on this topic from The New York Times comments on what I first thought upon looking at the new casing–Spillage.
The jugs have no real spout, and their unorthodox shape makes consumers feel like novices at the simple task of pouring a glass of milk.
“I hate it,” said Lisa DeHoff, a cafe owner shopping in a Sam’s Club here.
“It spills everywhere,” said Amy Wise, a homemaker.
“It’s very hard for kids to pour,” said Lee Morris, who was shopping for her grandchildren.
While Sam’s Club new case-less milk may be great for the environment, the consensus seems to be that adults as well as children cannot pour the milk without making a huge mess. Because of this, Sam’s Club is offering–get this–milk pouring classes. Just when you thought you knew it all, a huge grocery chain convinces you that you do not and in fact, the simplest of things, like pouring milk, may require classes. But if you need a class on how to pour milk, how many people are really going to be ecstatic about buying these jugs? If you’re spilling more than you’re getting in your glass or cereal bowl, how much of a savings are you really getting, when every time you go to pour it, you’re wasting a good amount?
I suppose we can all be the judge. If anyone has ever bought these jugs, tell us if they’re more convenient for your household and your wallet or if Sam’s Club landed on a flop, rather than an environmentally friendly way to package standard household items.
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About the Author: Holly Ord
In addition to being the Founder and Editor of Woman Tribune, Holly Ord is a freelance writer, web designer and developer, feminist activist and blogger, and hopeless video game addict. She lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania and has been blogging on liberal politics and gender equality on her personal website, Menstrual Poetry since 2007.
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20 Comments on Case-less is the New Milk Packaging / Add Your Comment
I’d hate to pour milk out of one of those jugs. I’m glad we don’t have these in Massachusetts!
I think this is a great idea. I’ve been trying to live green for several months now, and it can be really challenging. Large stores and chains should definitely make more of an effort to reduce waste and material usage.
I have to say it’s a step in the right direction, since many retailers and manufacturers are more concerned with what ads profit and cuts their bottom line than what is really best for the environment. My guess is that since this is a first draft, revisions will be made to the packages which make them easier to pour and incur less spillage. My fingers are crossed!
Homemaker Barbi (Danelle Ice)
This is really a great idea. My husband and I reallly loves Macey’s… and I can’t wait to see this new jugs of milk.
I’ve bought some milk in one of these new containers, and so far my observations are:
1) They are more tricky to pour from, but its not something that a person can’t grasp quickly. Are you saying that you can’t be taught to pour from a new milk jug? I like to believe I’m not so old that I can’t be taught a new trick.
2) They fit more ‘efficiently’ in a refrigerator. Because they’re more tall and narrow, they fit in doors and take up a smaller footprint in the refrigerator. This allows more stuff to fit alongside on a shelf, or just use the door for your milk now. Kinda cool.
3) As far as efficiency goes, the only people who are benefiting from the extra efficiency are Sams execs. These things seem to use the same amount of plastic as a regular milk jug, and the only real benefit they provide is that Sams doesn’t have to return milk crates, and can fit more milk on trucks. Until we do away with plastic gallon jugs and go back to half gallon paper cartons, there is no real environmental benefit. At least as far as I see it.
I think Dan is right it takes time to accept something new in our daily life. Once accepted and get used to it, I think these jugs will be doing the good what they are supposed to, conserving energy and money. It may be benefiting Sams more, but should be welcomed if it is cutting down the use of fuel and plastic.
The new containers might help to save the environment but only to a degree. The plastic pouches used in Europe and Canada do a better job but are also difficult to handle. Once the jugs disappeared off the supermarket shelves, we had to learn to use the pouches. After several years, we don’t even think about it.
I think way to much money goes towards making packaging pretty.
I think we should have a milk container where you go to the store, buy your milk and pour the milk into a container at home in your own fridge. One that the whole family can use. Those tupperware containers always work nice and neat.
Orange juice in one… Milk in the other….
so Milk maybe should come in paper containers like it does…. then pour it out into a container in your fridge that the whole family is able to pour from.
What would be even cooler, is to have a way to refill your milk jugs right at the store. You can easily clean them out and take them w/ you to the grocery store.
It would save probably thousands on the landfill and the energy costs to re-heat the plastics down for recycling.
Great idea. I remember being so amazed when I lived in Italy about how everything was made to compact easy and create less trash. America needs to get on board.
I love the idea behind the redesign but it sounds like it needs some more work. I hope the US continues with this trend and we see it applied in all packaging designs.
I think this is a brilliant idea and should really help cutting back on materials and resources, especially in America and the UK. I know in Europe some countries already package their milk like this but in England we still use Plastic cartons. Originally having a milkman was the norm we all used glass bottles which where re-used, this is obviously the greenest method but atleast walmakr are trying,
What a fantastic idea, every little helps, and if all packaging was carefully thought out like that, it could potentially make a big cut back on waste and usage.
I am a designer, and as much as it is nice to see a beautiful piece of packaging, it usually involves overpackaging an item and therefore result in a range of other costs. It is like pizza, i thing the plastic packaging is enough perhaps with a big label on it.
Claire Fasicas
Hi,
We ran across your website and i read it more interesting, thank you for the ideas you shared i learn a lot from it. We’ll come back often.
Once again, thank you very much!
Regards,
Oceans Green
it seems they would be hard to poor out of!
For more interesting facts and myths regarding food packaging I can recommend this article:http://www.bensongroup.co.uk/bensongroup/articles-environmental-myths.php
These new containers looks very useful…Good idea…
In these industries no one can offer a better automatic packaging line
This method can adapt to see the tyvek envelopes provide priority.
Brilliant idea of these containers. I like this packaging concept. Great job. Keep it up!!!
i took one of these gallons and one of the regular gallons and it turns out these actually weight about 30 grams less than the traditional style saving almost 50% plastic that seems like a lot to me also i think they have to actually clean the cases and create a lot of waste water not to mention any chemicals they may use they really do need to work on a new way to pour it i live in ohio and the costco i get them at actually just got a new designed flip top cap that never comes off that makes pouring a lot easier idk if they are everywhere yet but they helped alot and they are actually sealed without any foily seal inside kinda weird but really cool ti makes everything recyclable which is really awesome