In a plastic bag? Really?
Yep, it absolutely does come that way. I’ve seen milk in glass bottles, cartons and plastic jugs, but I have never seen milk in a plastic bag. So, curiosity got the best of me and I had to search it on Yahoo!
Boy, I was surprised to find that buying milk in plastic bags is a rather common thing in Canada and in some northern Midwestern states too. That totally boggled my mind, as I had honestly never heard of such a thing before. It seems that many people like buying milk in bags, as it is easier to transport and is generally considered more eco-friendly. And, as some Canadians put it, the bags are stronger then plastic jugs if dropped.
As curiosity continued to drive my Yahoo! search, I discovered that there are many different uses for the the bags once the milk has been consumed. They can be easily washed and hung to dry. They become perfect containers for storing frozen vegetables, packaging lunch meals for work or school or storing utensils and condiments for picnics. They even have more common uses that I could never have imaged. And, believe it or not, there is even a YouTube video that describes — in step-by-step detail — how to make a sleeping mat from these bags.
It really does make sense to buy milk this way. It takes up a lot less room in the refrigerator and, if it is available in many different bag sizes, would be the perfect way to transport such a nutritious food source. I suppose it could even be packaged in gallon size, pint size and single-serving size with relative ease. And, think of the after-market possibilities! There is a Tap-It® device on the market to punch into the bag for easy dispensing in the refrigerator. I want one!
And, dairies aren’t the only ones that would benefit from switching to plastic bags. Apple juice, orange juice, cranberry juice…really any liquid could be more easily transported and stored in plastic bags. Even water.
But, of course, that raised the big question: how do they actually put the milk in the bags without it spilling everywhere? Back to YouTube I went and, with the push of a couple keys, a detailed video describing the entire procedure was playing on my monitor. Man, I love the internet!
So, I’m sold. Milk should be brought to the market in plastic bags. But, I can’t find them in any grocery store around here. I called Kroger’s and spoke with the dairy manager. He had never heard of milk in a plastic bag. The dairy manager at Food Lion thought I was joking, but when he discovered I was on a serious quest, he looked on his order sheet. Sure enough, several local dairies actually do sell milk in plastic bags, but they are only single-serving size and in restaurant 5-gallon sizes. Interesting. I guess that would be perfect for school lunch trays, construction laborers and other settings where food trays may be dispensed en masse.
I think the Canadians are on to something here. I want my milk in plastic bags. I think I’ll start a Facebook group page.
