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Plastic milk containers are plastic containers for storing, shipping and dispensing milk. Plastic bottles, sometimes called jugs, have largely replaced glass bottles for home consumption. Glass milk bottles have traditionally been reusable while light-weight plastic bottles are designed for single trips and plastic recycling.

Materials

Packaging of milk is regulated by regional authorities. Use of food contact materials is required: potential food contamination is prohibited. Strict standards of cleanliness and processing must be followed.

The most common material in milk packaging is high density polyethylene (HDPE), recycling code 2. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyester (PET) are also in use. Polycarbonate had been considered but had concerns about potential contamination with bisphenol A.

Container forms

Blow molded plastic milk bottles have been in use since the 1960s. HDPE is the primary material, but polyester is also used. A wide variety of milk bottle designs are available. Some have a round cross section while others have a more square or rectangular shape. A special flat-top square milk jug was recently developed to maximize shipping and storing efficiency but had some difficulties in dispensing. Many milk bottles have integral handles.

Milk bags are also in use. The milk is sold in a plastic bag and put into a pitcher for use. Larger bags are the inner bladder of a bag-in-box, sometimes used for institutional dispensing.

Small individual containers of milk and cream are often thermoformed or injection molded and have a peelable lid. These are often used in restaurants.

Shelf life

The shelf life of pasteurized milk in HDPE bottles and LDPE pouches has been determined to be between 10 and 21 days when stored at 4–8 °C. Other factors such as light and temperature abuse have effects. Shelf life can be extended by ultrapasteurisation and aseptic processing.

Volume control

Milk containers for retail sale must contain the same amount of milk as indicated on the label. To be acceptable to consumers, the containers must also appear to be completely full. Therefore, the volume of the container must be precisely controlled.

The designer of a die for a blow moulded bottle can never be completely sure of how much the finished bottle will hold. Shrinkage always occurs after the item is released from the mould. The amount of shrinkage depends upon many factors, including cycle time, inflation air pressure, time in storage prior to filling, storage temperature, and more.

A volume adjuster insert is one way to slightly adjust the volume of a bottle, without building a completely new mould. A volume insert attaches to the inside of a mould, creating a circular indentation on the side of the finished bottle. Different size inserts can be used as manufacturing circumstances change, for example mould temperature or cooling rate. The volume of finished bottles is periodically measured, and volume inserts are changed as needed.

Environmental comparisons

Many potential factors are involved in environmental comparisons of returnable vs non-returnable systems. Researchers have often used life cycle analysis methodologies to balance the many diverse considerations. Often the comparisons show benefits and problems with all alternatives. One recent life cycle study of one-way recyclable HDPE bottles indicated the importance of secondary packaging: returnable plastic crates can allow lower tare weight bottles.

Reuse of bottles requires a reverse logistics system, cleaning and sanitizing bottles, and an effective quality management system. A key factor with glass milk bottles is the number of cycles of uses to be expected. Breakage, contamination, or other loss reduces the benefits of returnables. A key factor with one-way recyclables is the recycling rate: In the US, only about 30–35% of HDPE bottles are recycled.

Examples

• Individual plastic container of coffee creamer, Japan
• 11.5 US fl oz, 340 ml, PETE bottle
• Plastic bags of milk
• 1419 ml, 48 US fl oz PETE bottle
• Flat-top square jug
• HDPE milk bottle, 40 US fl oz, 1 1/4 US quart (1183 ml)

See also

• Bagged milk
• Gallon smashing, internet challenge involving participants deliberately spilling milk in a supermarket by breaking containers
• Tea set, which includes a small jug for milk or cream

References

Citations

1. Sidel (18 August 2018), "Many Good Reasons for Liquid Dairy to Switch to PET Packaging", Canadian Packaging, retrieved 16 September 2020
2. Carwile, J L (2009). "Polycarbonate Bottle Use and Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations". Environ Health Perspect. 117 (9): 1368–1372. Bibcode:2009EnvHP.117.1368C. doi:10.1289/ehp.0900604. PMC 2737011. PMID 19750099.
3. US3225950A, Josephsen, "Plastic bottle", published 1965 
4. US3152710A, Platte, "Plastic milk bottle", published 1964 
5. US3397724A, Bolen, "Thin-walled container and method of making the same", published 1966 
6. Galic, K (August 2018), "Packaging materials and methods for dairy applications", New Food, retrieved 11 September 2019
7. Petrus, R R (2010). "Microbiological Shelf Life of Pasteurized Milk in Bottle and Pouch". Journal of Food Science. 75 (1): M36-40. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01443.x. PMID 20492183. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
8. Lauren Joshi (June 2017). "Understanding Dairy Bottle Shrinkage" (PDF). Qenos. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
9. Van Doorsselaer, K; Fox (2000), "Estimation of the energy needs in life cycle analysis of one-way and returnable glass packaging", Packaging Technology and Science, 12 (5): 235–239, doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1522(199909/10)12:5<235::AID-PTS474>3.0.CO;2-W
10. Spitzly, David (1997), Life Cycle Design of Milk and Juice Packaging (PDF), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved 29 June 2014
11. Singh, J (2011). "Life Cycle Inventory of HDPE Bottle-Based Liquid Milk Packaging Systems". Packaging Technology and Science. 24: 40–60. doi:10.1002/pts.909. S2CID 6850034. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
12. "2016 United States National Postconsumer Plastic Bottle Recycling Report" (PDF). Association of Plastic Rcyclers. 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

General and cited references

• Yam, Kit L. (2009). The Wiley Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology (3rd ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6. OCLC 361969419.

v t e Milk
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Types	A2 Baked Carbonated Condensed Evaporated Filled Flavored Anise Chocolate Coffee Papaya Strawberry Vanilla Watermelon Haymilk Malted Organic Pasteurized Powdered Raw Scalded Skimmed Soured Toned UHT Ultrafiltered
Products	Ayran Butter Buttermilk Cheese Cream Curd Custard Ghee Ice cream Ice milk Jewelry Filmjölk Kefir Kumis Milkshake Skyr Sour cream Crème fraîche Whey Ymer Yogurt
Containers	Bag-in-box Glass milk bottle Jug Milk bag Milk carton Milk churn Milk crate Milk delivery Plastic milk container Square milk jug Tetra Brik
Topics	Allergy Dairy Fidel Castro and dairy Lactation Breastfeeding Milking Pipeline Milkmaid Milkman Milk quotas in the United Kingdom World Milk Day
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v t e Packaging
General topics	Active packaging Child-resistant packaging Contract packager Edible packaging Modified atmosphere/modified humidity packaging Overpackaging Package delivery Package pilferage Package testing Package theft Packaging engineering Resealable packaging Reusable packaging Reuse of bottles Shelf life Shelf-ready packaging Shelf-stable Sustainable packaging Tamper-evident Tamper resistance Wrap rage
Product packages	Alternative wine closure Ammunition box Banana box Beer bottle Box wine Case-ready meat Coffee bag Cosmetic packaging Currency packaging Disposable food packaging Drink can Egg carton Evidence packaging Field ration Flour sack Foam food container Food packaging Fuel container Gas cylinder Glass milk bottle Growler Juicebox Low plastic water bottle Luxury packaging Milk bag Optical disc packaging Oyster pail Popcorn bag Pharmaceutical packaging Plastic milk container Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags Sand bag Seasonal packaging Self-heating food packaging Screw cap (wine) Single-serve coffee container Spray paint Toothpaste pump dispenser Unit dose Water bottle Wine bottle
Containers	Aerosol spray dispenser Aluminium bottle Aluminum can Ampoule Antistatic bag Bag-in-box Bag Barrel Biodegradable bag Blister pack Boil-in-bag Bottle Box Bulk box Cage Case Carboy Carton Chub Clamshell Corrugated box design Crate Disposable cup Drum Endcap Envelope Euro container Flexible intermediate bulk container Flexible tank Folding carton Glass bottle Gunny sack Inhaler Insulated shipping container Intermediate bulk container Jar Jerrycan Jug Keg Mesh bag Multilayered packaging Multi-pack Packet (container) Padded envelope Pail Paper bag Paper sack Plastic bag Plastic bottle Retort pouch Salvage drum Sachet Water sachet Security bag Shipping container Shipping tube Skin pack Spray bottle Squround Stand-up pouch Steel and tin cans Tetra Brik Thermal bag Tub (container) Tube Unit load Vial Wooden box
Materials and components	Adhesive Aluminium foil Bail handle Bioplastic Biodegradable plastic BoPET Bubble wrap Bung Cellophane Closure Coated paper Coating Coextrusion Container glass Corrugated fiberboard Corrugated plastic Cushioning Desiccant Double seam Flip-top Foam peanut Gel pack Hot-melt adhesive Humidity indicator card Kraft paper Label Lid Linear low-density polyethylene Liquid packaging board Living hinge Low-density polyethylene Meat absorbent pad Metallised film Modified atmosphere Molded pulp Nonwoven fabric Overwrap Oxygen scavenger Package handle Packaging gas Pallet Paper Paper pallet Paperboard Plastic-coated paper Plastic film Plastic pallet Plastic wrap Polyester Polyethylene Polypropylene Pressure-sensitive tape Pump dispenser Screw cap Screw cap (wine) Security printing Security tape Shock detector Shock and vibration data logger Shrink wrap Slip sheet Staple (fastener) Strapping Stretch wrap Susceptor Tamper-evident band Tear tape Temperature data logger Time temperature indicator Tinplate Velostat
Processes	Aseptic processing Authentication Automatic identification and data capture Blow fill seal Blow molding Calendering Canning Coating Containerization Converting Corona treatment Curtain coating Die cutting Die forming (plastics) Electronic article surveillance Extrusion Extrusion coating Flame treatment Glass production Graphic design Hazard analysis and critical control points Hermetic seal Induction sealing Injection moulding Lamination Laser cutting Molding Package tracking Papermaking Plastic extrusion Plastic welding Printing Product development Production control Quality assurance Radio-frequency identification Roll slitting Shearing (manufacturing) Thermoforming Track and trace Ultrasonic welding Vacuum forming Vacuum packaging Verification and validation
Machinery	Barcode printer Barcode reader Bottling line Calender Can seamer Cap torque tester Cartoning machine Case sealer Check weigher Conveyor system Drum pump Extended core stretch wrapper Filler Heat gun Heat sealer Industrial robot Injection molding machine Label printer applicator Lineshaft roller conveyor Logistics automation Material-handling equipment Mechanical brake stretch wrapper Multihead weigher Orbital stretch wrapper Packaging machinery Pallet inverter Palletizer Rotary wheel blow molding systems Seed-counting machine Shrink tunnel Staple gun Tape dispenser Turntable stretch wrapper Vertical form fill sealing machine
Environment, post-use	Biodegradation Can collecting Closed-loop box reuse Environmental engineering Glass recycling Industrial ecology Life-cycle assessment Litter Packaging waste Paper recycling PET bottle recycling Plastic recycling Recycling Reusable packaging Reverse logistics Source reduction Sustainable packaging Waste management
Category: Packaging

• Liquid containers
• Milk containers
• Retail packaging