Eco-friendly milk, bags of trouble?
Sun, Jun 24, 2007
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From tomorrow Waitrose supermarket will begin selling milk in a new form of “environmentally friendly” packaging: the reusable jug and plastic milk bag are to be launched in the UK.
Whilst the supermarket is heralding this as the start of a new form of environmentally friendly consumption, in fact, this is not the first time that the scheme has been attempted. A similar project was tried and abandoned by Sainsbury’s six years ago. Nonetheless, proponents are keen to point out that we are now in a supposed new age of customer environmental concern and awareness. The milk bags use seventy-five percent less packaging than the plastic milk bottle and furthermore, it is estimated that if in the UK such milk bottles were entirely replaced by the pouches, one hundred thousand tonnes less plastic waste would arrive in landfills. If the Waitrose scheme succeeds, it will be extended nationwide – currently it is due to run only in seventeen branches in London, Bath, and Wales. A jug will cost £1.99 and an organic one litre milk bag will be 91p.
It will be interesting to see whether the British customer will be willing to take action. Will the prospect of burst bags and tricky pouring dissuade otherwise loquacious promoters of environmental friendliness? However, Canada already uses bags for forty percent of its milk consumption, and India and South Africa do not lag far behind.
Is organic bagged milk in a jug a gimmick or revolution? The other supermarkets will no doubt be watching carefully.
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Why do 56% think Climate change is exaggerated? » Says:
October 13th, 2007 at 6:13 pm[...] using environmental claims to make money. In the UK, advertisers such as Ariel, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and McDonald’s have all used environmental claims in order to gain a competitive advantage. This [...]
July 4th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
We used to have empty milk bottles, collected by the Milkman every day and returned full of milk, Why should’nt we get back to that?
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December 25th, 2008 at 1:25 am
In Granada (Spain) we have had this system for ages, but as far as I know it was only used by a local small coop called “LOS PASTOREROS”, which distributes only locally, and sells the reusable jugs too. My late grandmother used to buy their milk, partly because she was from the village where they are based (Fuente Vaqueros, also birthplace of poet Federico Garcia Lorca).
The system is a bit messy until you get the hang of it, but it works ok, and it reduces costs for the coop. Nevertheless, I think I’d rather pay a little more and go back to the old milk bottle system: not only it would be green too, it would also create jobs (delivery milkmen, personnel for processing the used bottles…)
December 25th, 2008 at 1:28 am
Sorry, I meant the old GLASS milk bottles, not plastic ones!
January 11th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I am looking to purchase a milk bottle sweater. I understand that the milk protein sweater actually comes inside a milk bottle.
Thank You
June 24th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Liquid Living agrees with the environmental benefits of bags and has therefore developed a new patented product that makes the use of sachets so easy without spilling a drop and the milk stays fresher longer. The developed tap instantly seals with the wall of a sachet and the dispenser is very user friendly to put in your fridge or to even mount on a wall. We have compared it to the Jug that is mentioned here and the jug actually leaks milk and doesn’t seal properly. Our tap seals without spilling a drop and you can even pierce it straight into the liquid. See liquid living to see this milk jug.