There is a new entrant seeking to solve the sustainable milk-container conundrum. As ClimateofourFuture.com reports, Oakland, CA-based packaging supplier start-up Ecologic has introduced a container made from 100% molded pulp with an inner plastic pouch that is making its commercial debut in the milk aisle. The pack is being used for organic milk products for the Straus Family Creamery at the Oakland Whole Foods store.
The package comprises an outer layer of cardboard that Ecologic says is compostable and biodegradable, coupled with a recyclable plastic pouch that is said to use 70% less plastic than traditional milk jugs. While the milk-jug container offers a typical, rounded shoulder milk jug design, Ecologic says it can create packs in a range of styles.
The Ecologic milk jug is the latest design engineered to deliver milk in a more sustainable manner. Here in the U.S., the stackable 1-gal milk container used by Costco and Sam’s Club is a good example of a package optimized for space that also eliminates a tremendous amount of packaging materials during shipping. The drawback? Not all consumers are jazzed about the pourability of the new, square-shaped jug.
