One of the leading UK supermarket chains Sainbury's is launching milk sold in a recyclable plastic bag pouch in thirty five of its stores beginning tomorrow.
The chain expects to have the bagged milk available in as many as 500 stores within the next year.
According to published reports the alternative milk packaging is expected to reduce milk packaging waste by up to 75 percent.
Environmental advocates believe replacing all milk packaging in the UK with the bagged milk could keep 100,000 tons of plastic waste from landfills.
The milk bags are made of recyclable LDPE plastic and are designed to fit inside a reusable jug which is sold separately. Consumers open the bags with a spike that pierces the bag and forms a no-leak seal. The used milk bags can be returned to Sainbury's stores or recycled with other household plastics.
The big question is how will consumers on the whole react to the packaging? Various forms of milk packaging are in use in Europe.
In fact the use of bags for milk isn't entirely new they've been in use in Canada and the EU for nearly a decade. Despite this fact they have yet to take off in terms of becoming the preferred method of milk packaging. So this latest push from Sainbury's will be interesting to follow.
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These were in use in Scotland over thirty years ago and hated by everyone except the delivery people who could throw the bag at the door from the bottom of the path (many burst of course).
In those days I seem to remember that the holders were given away free, Sainsbury are charging about £2.50 I believe.
MB
Posted by: JMB | June 11, 2008 at 07:02 AM
Sorry I don't really get this. OK less to recycle, that's fine, only 4 out of 10 bottles currently recycled. Well surely that's partly the councils fault for not recycling them and partly the consumers fault for the same. Putting it in a bag won't fix that.
However, I would prefer it if companies like Sainsburys would concentrate on the packaging that we can't already recycle and make it so that we can. Thermosetting plastics guys - you need to get rid of them a.s.a.p. not tweak a currently recyclable product.
Posted by: David | June 11, 2008 at 08:28 AM
I think it is a great thing that people are moving to bags for the environmental benefits. Luckily people in many other parts of the world are already using milk bags. The biggest problem with bags are the convenience factor. Jug-it has tried to overcome it, but with limited success. I have tested this product and it is not always leak free. Liquid living has developed a tap dispenser system that instantly seals into the liquid without spilling a drop and air never comes in contact with the liquid so it stays fresh longer. Also, you can choose if you want to use a jug or only the tap (to use less space) as the tap grips onto the sides of the bag. liquid living has a video clip on their site that illustrates how this works.
Posted by: Rene Olivier | June 24, 2009 at 04:53 AM
Well done to Sainsbury's for changing to Milk Sachets. For the consumer the benefits are cost, hygiene and less waste. For a jug that has won many design awards for simplicity, good looks and ease of use is the Clip IT Milk Sachet Jug. See www.msbdesign.co.za
Posted by: AL MARTIN | May 04, 2010 at 05:37 AM