1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Is the plastic milk cartons worse than the corrugated cardboard cartons?

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by burritos, Sep 27, 2010.

  1. burritos

    burritos Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2006
    4,946
    252
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Wife thinks the plastic leeches BPA into milk. For those who do get milk, do you get it in glass?
     
  2. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

    Joined:
    May 21, 2007
    6,038
    707
    0
    Location:
    Tumwater, WA USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Waxed cartons, not corrugated.

    Glass would be best.
     
  3. Politburo

    Politburo Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2009
    971
    208
    0
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    HDPE (milk jugs) is typically BPA-free. It's hard plastics, polycarbonates, that are most likely to have BPA, as well as linings on canned products (both food and beverages).

    Milk cartons are no longer waxed. It's a plastic coating of a similar type to the plastic jug. There shouldn't be any BPA there either.

    Reused glass is best, though I personally get it in the plastic jug. Our main use for milk is baked goods, and we typically use less than a quart per month, so there isn't much impetus to change that behavior.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    we get ours in #2 plastic. as far as i can find on the web, no bpa. #7 plastic is supposed to be the bpa. the scary thing is the delivery drinking water 5 gal. jugs are #7.
     
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,496
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    What a bunch of wimps.

    Straight from the tap, baby!
     
  6. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,562
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    That works for water. Not so well for milk.
     
    1 person likes this.
  7. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,562
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I assume you mean best for us, in that nothing leaches from the material into the contents. How is glass for reuse and recycling, compared to other options?
     
  8. Politburo

    Politburo Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2009
    971
    208
    0
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    #7 is a catchall designation. The type of plastic that most commonly has BPA is a #7, but not all #7 is polycarbonate. Another common #7 is ABS, which does not have BPA. Unfortunately, it appears most water jugs are PC..

    Straight from the tap.. did you mean that for milk? ;)
     
  9. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

    Joined:
    May 21, 2007
    6,038
    707
    0
    Location:
    Tumwater, WA USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Glass is great for reuse.

    From the tap is best. If people had to actually go get their milk from Bessie directly, they might rethink the whole concept that calf food is good for human adults. I mean, come on. Calf food is designed to grow a baby calf, 500+ lbs of growth in just a bit over a year. Do people need that kind of fat/protein profile in their beverages? I think not!

    If you really want to drink milk, a food for babies, then get it the same way babies do. :p
     
  10. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,562
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    A valid point, though it's rather difficult to find willing volunteers at that time of the morning. And I prefer it cold, with cereal, which tends to shorten the list even further. ;)

    I drink soy, anyway. :)
     
  11. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

    Joined:
    May 21, 2007
    6,038
    707
    0
    Location:
    Tumwater, WA USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Soy milk comes in foil-lined cartons. Almond milk is also good - I frequently make it fresh.
     
  12. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,562
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Really? I'll have to rip one apart to satisfy my curiosity. They look just like the waxed paper cow milk cartons to me.
     
  13. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

    Joined:
    May 21, 2007
    6,038
    707
    0
    Location:
    Tumwater, WA USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Oh, some soy does. Yes.

    I was thinking of the quart/litre containers with the little flip top.
     
  14. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,073
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Are you volunteering?

    :heh:

    Tom
     
  15. skruse

    skruse Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2004
    1,454
    97
    0
    Location:
    Coloma CA - Sierra Nevada
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    We are not baby cows and do not drink cows milk. We drink soy and reuse the cartons to freeze vegetables and soups from our garden.
     
    2 people like this.
  16. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2007
    4,319
    1,527
    0
    Location:
    Tampa Bay
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    I
    Having been raised on a farm, I thought it worth mentioning this. Between coming out of the cow and arriving in the store carton, the food processing plants remove virtually everything as the law permits. It really is vastly watered down and a calf would die if they had to drink what the store sells.
     
    1 person likes this.
  17. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2008
    4,003
    944
    118
    Location:
    Los Angeles Foothills
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I like the plastic jugs, they make great 9.8 lb weights when filled with water.. and they have a handle to tie a rope to!
    The boxes however, tend to fall apart!
     
  18. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,606
    8,036
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    :eyebrows:


    You must have never been to a Prius event I've seen plenty of cows.
    :p . . . but I digress.

    #1 - Fat ... including milk fat, regardless of what mammal it comes from, does not make you fat. It's SUGAR (carbs, in chips, potatoes, corn etc ... besides other yummy things) that makes you fat, because your body stores it as fat, when you sit down on your fat ... and don't exercise enough to burn it off.

    #2 - The topic is the carton, and which is worse. But ... iduno.

    .
     
  19. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2010
    6,035
    3,854
    0
    Location:
    Rocky Mountains
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Glass is king. We still have milk delivery here. They come by once or twice a week depending on how much you order and leave a cold jug of milk in the wooden chest outside your house. When you are done, you put it in the chest and they clean it and reuse it. No waste other than the rinse water and sanitation chemicals.
     
  20. rpatterman

    rpatterman Thinking Progressive

    Joined:
    May 21, 2008
    756
    226
    0
    Location:
    Boulder, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    II
    And of course the refrigerated truck driving miles to serve a handful of customers. The truck that sits running while the milkman walks up your sidewalk to your front door. Might be a good use for a hybrid.