Comments on: Weaning Dairies Off the Plastic Milk Container

By: Olga Belokin

Olga Belokin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:45:55 +0000

I’m all for glass bottles. If we are going green we should do it properly. Plastics leach toxins which we and our children are consuming those toxins in water, juice, milk and too many other foods to mention. No wonder there are so many diseases now a days. With all the processed foods and chemicals along with plastics we are being poisoned. So please bring back the glass bottles for milk, water, juices, etc., etc.

Olga

By: Earl Cuyler

Earl Cuyler — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:15:18 +0000

Being an old time milkman ( 40s 50s ) I was disappointed when they went to plastic milk has never tasted good since and is not as cold.
Give me the old glass bottle days.
Earl

By: A.L. Smithey

A.L. Smithey — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:33:56 +0000

Hello All,
For those who believe the paper cartons are waxed and safe to burn, I’m quite sure these containers are coated not with wax, but with polyethylene. According to the website enotes.com, this has been the case, with polyethylene replacing wax coating in the 1940s. I was dismayed to hear this, as my choices here in the interior of British Columbia include plastic or plastic-coated carton. Hopefully Sarah from New Mexico returns to this thread and sees this. Burning plastic can’t be healthy! Here is the website mentioned above: http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/milk-carton

Thanks,
A.L.

By: Jay Radke

Jay Radke — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:25:45 +0000

Take the worry out of transporting delicious glass bottle milk or juice in the totally new EnPakt, environmentally friendly, all fiber glass bottle carrier. Endorsed by Straus Family Creamery. Also enjoy glass bottled milk from Broguires in the LA area and Claravale in central CA. If you are in NY try Byrne milk delivered by Manhattan Milk, in Illinois use Oberweis from your local grocery or home delivery, So. Illinois-Chester Dairy near St Louis. Missouri has many excellent dairies with Shatto leading the pack in the KC area and Heartland in St. Louis. Hildebrand is the perfect choice in Junction City, KS. The US has a minimum of 85 glass bottle dairies in all states except; SD, ND, NM, MS, AL, TN. If you know of glass bottle dairies/creameries in the listed states contact me.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:00:49 +0000

Unfortunately, glass is not recycled in the northern population centers of New Mexico, as there is no local market for it. What little glass is collected for recycling in the state is shipped farther than the milk to other states. The local dairies might benefit from reusable containers, but only after they pay off the equipment for washing & sterilizing containers that are returned to them.

I favor good old WAXED containers. Yes, the wax is a petroleum product, but healthy compost bacteria will do a number on it, and barring that, we rural folk are still allowed to burn such things to start our woodburning stoves and ovens- waxed containers light very nicely. 🙂

By: Luanne

Luanne — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:39:28 +0000

Perhaps we could return to the days of Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof, who drove his horse-drawn milk cart through the village, filling people’s milk jugs with fresh milk. That way, you don’t have the shipping, tile floor breakage (not sure how widespread that is) or the expense of making glass (some plastic goes into that, as well). Anyone up for old world milk delivery?

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:48:30 +0000

Thanks Clare though I’m in New York City. I love San Francisco and was there volunteering for Slow Food Nation last September.

I understand your issue with glass and tile floors. Especially when the milk bottles tend to have condensation.

I might look for a stainless steel vessel and transfer it from the glass bottle if I had that situation.

By: Claire

Claire — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:01:13 +0000

I have tile floors, and I would be very reluctant to switch to glass for milk. First, gallon and even half-gallon size glass bottles would be extraordinarily difficult to handle. But even worse – if one falls, you have glass all over your kitchen. (This just happened to me with something else, and I am still picking up splinters a week later.) I’m fine with cardboard, which I do recycle, and I agree with Todd that the plastic screw-caps make no sense. Clover Stornetta milk cartons don’t use the screw-cap, so you might want to try that if you are in the SF bay area.

By: Luanne Bradley

Luanne Bradley — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:50:27 +0000

Yes, I’m looking into the screw caps. Remember the old foil ones? What was wrong with those?

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:20:32 +0000

I certainly agree with more glass and no plastic when it comes to food; and most other things as well.

I’ve contacted a couple dairy producers regarding the plastic screw-caps that are now part on most milk cartons. I find it unnecessary and wasteful as the built in spout works very well. They said that some people have trouble using the spout. They have also changed the adhesive on the cartons with the plastic screw-cap. The spout is still there but it no longer opens easily. Of course the plastic screw-cap and plastic spout aren’t recycled. More “unnecessary” waste.