Square milk jug
A square milk jug is a variant of the plastic gallon container of milk commonly sold in the United States.[1] It was introduced in the summer of 2008.[1] Square milk jugs are marketed as environmentally friendly because of the shape's advantages for shipping and storage. Because of their shape, square milk jugs are stackable and can be shipped in greater quantity in the same space (4,700 US gallons (18,000 L) more per truck or 9%[1]), without using the milk crates required for traditional (bell shaped[2]) jugs. This lowers the shipping costs for the retailer which results in a lower cost for the consumer.
Square milk jugs have been adopted by some Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam's Club stores.[3] The cost to a consumer of a gallon of milk in a square milk jug is 10–20¢ cheaper than a gallon of milk in a traditional milk jug.[3][4]
There have been criticisms of increased spillage and difficulty pouring from the square milk jugs.[3]
Benefits
Environmental benefits and cost savings are the primary benefits of square milk jugs. Because more milk fits on each truck, shipping costs can be reduced by 50% (an equivalent of 11,000 fewer trucks moving each year, reducing deliveries to stores that require five shipments per week down to two) resulting in less fuel being consumed.[5] Instead of being packed in milk crates, the square jugs are shrink wrapped.[4] for shipment. This has cut water use, 67–70% according to one dairy, since there are no crates to be cleaned. There is also the reduced cost with no crates to be stolen (Pennsylvania dairies alone spent $6 million replacing milk crates in 2005, mostly from theft[6]) and less risk of the jugs being contaminated by dirty crates.[3]
Because square milk jugs can be stacked, they require less labor at the dairy, and can be packaged more quickly which allows the milk to be shipped sooner, providing fresher milk to the retailer.[7] The wide mouth is also easier to fill which reduces the likelihood of spillage and the sanitary issues caused by milk getting on the container.[1]
The shape of the jug also allows more milk to be stored in a milk cooler. One Sam's Club store reported fitting 224 square gallon jugs in an area that only held 80 traditional one gallon jugs.[3][4]
Criticism
Consumers have criticized the square milk jug for being difficult to pour, especially for children.[3] The larger width of jug's opening and its small lip are said to produce a wide torrent of milk pouring out when the jug is at a shallow slant.[8] This causes spills and leaks onto the sides of the container.[8] Some Sam's Club stores offered lessons on pouring, complete with complimentary cookies.[3]
The more narrow base of the square jug allows it to be stored in the door of many refrigerators, but milk stored in this area may be more prone to spoiling due to frequent drastic changes in temperature.[2]
Pouring technique
The technique used to pour milk from a square milk jug is different from that of a traditional milk jug. A Sam's Club representative suggests "tilt it slowly and pour slowly"[3] and a dairy owner in Yerington, Nevada, where some square milk jugs are filled, described the pouring technique as "rock-and-pour instead of a lift-and-tip".[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Marks, Tod. "Love 'em or hate 'em: Those new-fangled milk containers at big club stores". Consumer Reports. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
- ^ a b Jackson, Matthew. "Costco's square milk jug curses milk consumers". Washington. The Daily. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Rosenbloom, Stephanie. "Solution, or Mess? A Milk Jug for a Green Earth". New York. The New York Times. Retrieved January 07, 2009.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c Tracy, Ben. "Milk Jug Gets A Makeover". CBS News. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
- ^ Hoffman, William. "Sustaining Sustainability". Florida Shipper. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
- ^ Brat, Ilan. "Police ask: got milk crates?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via the Wall Street Journal). Retrieved January 9, 2009.
- ^ Mick, Jason. "Cheaper, Stackable, "Green" Milk Jugs Cause a Stir". Daily Tech. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
- ^ a b Jackson, Matthew. "Costco's square milk jug curses milk consumers". The Daily. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
The handle on the opposite corner is both surprisingly slender and awkwardly close to the top. It is a container suited for fertilizer, gasoline, deicer or marbles. I would not use it for food.