Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Standard milk cartons made of plastic-coated paperboard are recyclable in some communities, too, but not everywhere. "Bucky," over at The West Virginia Blogger, asked his Canadian friend in 2008 and received several points, including: The bags were actually adopted to reduce waste and other resources required to … Tray styles have a solid bottom and are often shipped as flat blanks and assembled by the packager. A two pint milk bag – the only size available – costs 80p, compared with 86p for the same size bottle. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. Golden Hills Elementary School, near Omaha, Nebraska, changed all of its milk cartons to bagged milk this year, citing tests (done in-house) that kids were finishing more of their milk when it arrived in bags than when in cartons.Golden Hills is the latest in a long line of worldwide experiments with bagged milk, some more successful than others. Milk in recyclable plastic bags, popular in Europe, may soon be common in the U.S. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. The Paper Milk Carton. Milk cartons are no longer waxed. rumen into the milk in the udder (e.g., onion/garlic, feedy, barny, cowy). In Ottawa, only numbered or … Bagged milk also hits an impassable imaginary wall at the 49th parallel. When exposed to sunlight or very strong artificial light for long periods, even milk in opaque containers loses some vitamins, though less than milk in clear glass bottles or clear plastic containers. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. If you haven’t already noticed almost all the commercialized organic milk options here in the US are Ultra High-Temperature Pasteurized (UHT) – which is actually the same process widely used in Europe – but that still doesn’t answer why some versions are refrigerated and some aren’t. Since December, a special pilot program has allowed Mac’s Convenience Store to sell milk in three-litre jugs. Why is it that these small individual sized organic milk containers in the US aren’t sold cold? Q: Does milk in plastic bottles lose more vitamins than milk in cardboard cartons? When you buy whole milk and 2% milk online, you'll find it available in many types of containers, including 2L and 4L jugs and the more common 4L plastic bags. While the matter might be before the courts, Saideman has his own take on the debate. In most locations the 1/2 gallon paper milk carton is up to 1/3rd, 30 percent, cheaper than the same amount of milk in a plastic container. The principal benefits of bagged milk are economic and freshness. A second kind of milk container—the gable-top carton—is made from paperboard and coated with a layer of low-density polyethylene. A carton of Coconut Milk tends to be very low in saturated fat compared to canned, so for health reasons a carton of coconut milk is obviously better for people than Canned Coconut milk. In his January 2013 blog post, Bags vs Gallon Jugs, Saideman explains why the jug principle is far superior to bags. Whether it is a bag, or a jug, all are are made of plastic called HDPE. The issue has come to the fore this week after the Toronto Star revealed details of an ongoing fight between the Ontario Dairy Council and the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. In B.C., it’s jugs, not bags. Jug and carton manufacturers—along with most of Canada’s manufacturing industries—faced challenges in converting to the new system. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. “I have never bought milk in plastic bags and I never will.”. Ultra High Temperature pasteurized milk, meant for long term stability, is usually packaged in cartons. “Of course, the real superiority is that one can simply open a gallon jug of milk and pour,” his blog reads. But it’s not all nickels and dimes, it’s also a matter of tradition. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Milk bags, on the other hand, must be removed from the fridge, sliced off the top, and placed into a jug. One of the most interesting is the 2014 / 2015 Fall Winter show, which was grocery-themed. Almost uniformly, Americans are jug/carton people. By comparison, plastic bags were easy to modify, and the country’s quick adoption of the metric system helped spur bagged milk’s popularity, and it soon became the market leader. There shouldn't be any BPA there either. It’s milk. An increase in recycling across the UK in recent years has highlighted the need for retailers and suppliers to concentrate on reducing the quantity of packaging for everyday products. Chanel shows are renowned for being jaw-dropping. Whole milk in plastic bags makes it easy to freeze for long-term storage and lets you stack it in the fridge, taking up less space than multiple jugs. Our main use for milk is baked goods, and we typically use less than a quart per month, so there isn't much impetus to change that behavior. Some also are self-erecting. The non-resealable plastic bag: it causes less waste than cartons. “It’s about this weird government regulation of stuff … I don’t get it at all,” says Steve Saideman, the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University, who’s originally from the U.S. “There’s some sort of perverse logic about protecting the marketplace.”. “I actually find milk bags really convenient, you just plunk it in. Cookie Preferences The smaller-sized carton is also convenient for those … We encountered an issue signing you up. Waitrose has now rolled out a UK-wide trial for the Eco Pak milk bags. © 2020 Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. In Alberta, the demand for bagged milk doesn’t exist, so the plants in Alberta chose to package their milk in cartons or jugs. Since 1893, Neilson has stood for high quality dairy products. Terms of Service, © 2020 Remedy Health Media, LLC All rights reserved. It was thanks to the handy milk jug that dairy farmers were able to douse then-agriculture minister Eugene Whelan during a demonstration by dairy farmers in 1976, tap here to see other videos from our team. Some people are willing to pay for convenience, some people aren’t,” her January 2013 blog post reads. Fresh, wholesome milk… naturally from Neilson. South of the border, milk is served in large, plastic gallon — sorry, 3.89 litre — jugs with a screw top. But in Ontario and Quebec, the beverage that does your body good comes in litre-sized plastic bags. “Milk bags use less materials than jugs, so are cheaper to make. Using 75 per cent less packaging, the bags cost slightly less than the bottles. The best milk I ever had was glass bottles of unhomogenized (ie: cream on top) milk in New Zealand back in the 80's (though you can still get it now, they've mostly switched to cartons). It's a plastic coating of a similar type to the plastic jug. And manufacturing the paperboard is energy intensive. Most types of milk can be frozen. Schild says that bagged milk sales account for roughly 14.5 percent of the company’s total milk sales, and the company also sells other beverages in the bag format, including orange juice. Milk bags also take up less space in garbage. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Since cartons are lined with polyethylene, the oxygen permeability is likely similar in cartons and bags, perhaps slightly better in cartons as they may have multiple layers of wax/plastic. The milk industry is usually careful to pro­tect milk from the adverse effects of light dur­ing processing and storage, and consumers keep milk in dark refrigerators. (But it may not be all the glass - part of it's taste may be attributed to the farming practices in NZ though, since their eggs also tasted much better than ours.) But an appeal, launched by the Ontario Dairy Council, which represents milk processors, argued this pilot program gave an unfair advantage to certain stores and not others. The thing is, most cities don’t recycle milk bags. Although his research speciality is on civil-military relations and conflicts between states, he’s spent some time pondering the particular nature of this international dairy conflict. A: Yes, but as long as the plastic is opaque, not clear, the difference is minimal under normal circumstances. Nonetheless, our American neighbours find this practice a tad strange, and south of the border, most buy milk packaged in jugs and cartons. It’s the same great, high quality milk, just in a different container! But for those who grew up in the land of the free, the bags seem downright socialist. Pasteurized milk can absorb flavors during refrigeration storage, especially in paperboard or low barrier cartons. “People just get used it,” she says. Thai brand Aroy-D makes 100 percent coconut milk in 8.5-ounce and 33.8-ounce cartons. Milk bags are more ideal from an environmental standpoint than paper milk cartons or glass milk bottles. Calcium and other minerals won’t be affected, in any case. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Milk bags are 100% recyclable just like milk jugs, and better than wax-coated milk cartons which are mostly recyclable but not 100%; and while cartons are nominally more reusable, it's uncommon to re-use one for an extended period of time. However, the milk carton also has environmental consequences. Perhaps out of inter-departmental spite, or perhaps out of national pride, his (Canadian) colleague Frances Woolley took issue with his blog post and fired back. Q: Does milk in plastic bottles lose more vitamins than milk in cardboard cartons? The flavor is not as rich as some canned coconut milks, but it’s a solid option if this package suits your needs. “Of course, the real superiority is that one can simply open a … With increasing transparency, how­ever, more light can get through to the milk, and that can reduce levels of vitamins A and C, as well as some B vitamins. Privacy Policy Milk cartons need to … In his January 2013 blog post, Bags vs Gallon Jugs, Saideman explains why the jug principle is far superior to bags. By the early 1980s, the metric system was fully adopted in Canada; in 1978, 4-liter packages of milk became the norm in Ontario [].Buying bagged became habitual for … Neilson has always been committed to using the best ingredients, people and processes to produce great tasting quality milk you can depend on. Do Not Sell My Info Sign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. Proponents of the bagged method argue it spoils less easily, since you only need to open one litre at a time, and that individual bags are much less heavy than three- or four-litre jugs. Milk cartons and jugs are technically recyclable, though according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, over 70% of milk … In fact, it only weighs one ounce more than a plastic milk jug. Advertising Policy Special Holiday Offers for Online Subscriptions! They also are made from paper, which is a renewable resource. Similar off-flavors may be absorbed into the milk during farm storage if ventilation is poor and the milk is not protected. Please try again. Citizens of the U.S.A., I have returned from that land of 3 million people and 10 million cows to tell you that there is another way. The Council would like consumers to be able to purchase milk in three-litre plastic jugs, while the Farmers are keen to preserve the status quo — in which consumers can buy milk in a two-litre carton, or in a four-litre format that consists of three bags of one and a third litres each. “It seems more complex than it has to be,” Saideman told theCitizen. Even if milk loses some vitamins because of exposure to light or air, it’s still very nutritious. A: Yes, but as long as the plastic is opaque, not clear, the difference is minimal under normal circumstances. Today, it’s estimated that 75 to 80 percent of the milk sold in Ontario is bagged, and across Canada, about 50 percent of milk drinkers buy the bagged variety. The reason: Canadians do a lot of cross-border shopping, and it creates a more competitive market driven by the consumer, Woolley says. The next issue of Ottawa Citizen Headline News will soon be in your inbox. With increasing transparency, how­ever, more light can get through to the milk, and that can reduce levels of vitamins A and C, as well as some B vitamins. A carton is a type of packaging suitable for food, pharmaceuticals, hardware, and many other types of products. And, in this show, Chanel presented some of its most interesting bags to date: milk carton, shopping basket, meat bag anyone? See more ideas about milk carton, mini milk, paper crafts. Although Saideman has lived in Canada for more than a decade, he’s drawn a line in the sand over his national dairy identity. In case of the carton, it is a multi layered packaging with paper, aluminium foil and plastic all joined together. In Toronto, for example, milk bags are recyclable as long as they’re rinsed out, and milk bags take up significantly less space than a jug or a carton. And don’t forget to save the clip, so you know how fresh your milk is. The main advantages of a milk carton is that it is very light. About Us No matter the type, it should be transferred to an air-tight, freezer-safe bag or container prior to freezing, if needed. The bags could save 75% of the plastic waste from milk cartons. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. The packaging of milk is dependent on the processing plants. It’s easier, they’re less heavy than the big jugs.”. On July 17, 2014, the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal agreed to hear the appeal. For consumers, bags typically allow for smaller portion sizes. Wisconsinites, people who … Perhaps the biggest difference between the United States and Canada (or at least in Quebec and Ontario) isn’t universal health care, the metric system or a parliamentary system of governance. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. Read more about cookies here. Cans tend to have BPA in them as well, which isn’t great for people health. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Previous runway shows include underwater, crystal cave and Paris-Bombay themes. In her blog entry, aptly titled Take that, Steve Saideman, Woolley, who researches the economics of the family at Carleton University, provided a little insight into why bags reign supreme in Ontario. This can also impart an off-flavor. Bags were easier to manipulate than jugs and cartons, which needed to be redesigned. Folding cartons are usually combined into a tube at the manufacturer and shipped flat (knocked down) to the packager. Reused glass is best, though I personally get it in the plastic jug. While the bag vs. jug vs. carton debate continues to rage, a small but increasing number of environmentalist vampires are petitioning the Canadian government to ban hard-to-recycle blood bags, jugs and cartons altogether and to begin storing the Canadian blood supply in easily recycled pop-top aluminum cans. Nov 2, 2012 - Explore sue winn's board "milk cartons", followed by 418 people on Pinterest. For producers, it is easier to vary portion size when sealing bags than cartons, as well as lowering the cost of packaging. Is the 2014 / 2015 Fall Winter show, which is a renewable resource has failed to load Ottawa... Be before the courts, Saideman explains why the jug principle is far superior to bags of..., people and processes to produce great tasting quality milk you can depend on ’ t, ” January! 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