New Milk Jugs: Coming to a Store Near You?

As shipping prices increase and environmental awareness grows, many products will be redesigned with efficiency in mind.

This New York Times article, Solution, or Mess? A Milk Jug for a Green Earth highlights a redesign of the gallon milk jug.

Old milk jugs could not be stacked, and required crates to deliver. Crates had to be returned and washed to reuse. The shipping methods are labor-intensive and not very efficient.

New square shaped jug

• can be stacked and shipped on pallets
• cuts labor in half
  
• cuts water use by 60 - 70%
• fewer deliveries (more fit on a truck)
• keeps milk fresher
• costs less (10 - 20 cents a gallon)

The one complaint? It's hard to pour. People spill it when they first use it.

I say get used to it, we will be seeing more products changing their packaging for more efficiency.