New Green Milk Jug Design Cuts Costs But Is Difficult to Pour
The gallon milk container has a new look at Wal-Mart and Costco—one that's designed to cut shipping costs, be more environmentally friendly, and keep milk fresher. It also costs less, at $2.18 at one Sam's Club, down from $2.58.
There's been some crying, though: Some customers complain that the boxy and spoutless shape makes them "feel like novices at the simple task of pouring a glass of milk."
In fact, the jugs have caused so many gripes that Sam's Club now holds in-store demonstrations with milk and cookies to teach customers how to pour milk:
"Just tilt it slowly and pour slowly," Ms. Tilton said to passing customers as she talked about the jugs’ environmental benefits and cost savings. Instead of picking up the jug, as most people tend to do, she kept it on a table and gently tipped it toward a cup.
Mike Compston, who owns a dairy in Yerington, Nev., described the pouring technique in a telephone interview as a "rock-and-pour instead of a lift-and-tip."
Demonstrations are but one of several ways Sam’s Club is advocating the containers. Signs in the aisle laud their cost savings and "better fridge fit."
Pouring difficulties aside, the design has helped make milk production more efficient. Unlike the old containers, which had to be transported in crates, the new jugs can be stacked on top of each other, allowing larger truckloads. And water use—to clean the now-eliminated crates—has been cut by 60 to 70 percent, Sam's Club says. And, coolers at Sam's Clubs can now hold 224 gallons of milk, versus the previous 80 gallons.
The new jugs, which rolled out last November, are available in 189 stores across the country, and will continue to appear in more Sam's Club stores.
I have yet to see these new jugs, but the fussiness over the pouring issues seems a tad excessive. If you've run into these new jugs, what's your verdict?
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16 Comments:
people will get used to it....no biggy
billyjoe at 8:56PM on 06/30/08
In my experience, these milk jugs pour just fine if you lift and tip like any other milk carton. The extra care means that you'll have your glass of milk in six seconds instead of five, but it's probably a better use of your time than writing to Sam's Club and complaining about the milk jugs.
spoodles at 8:57PM on 06/30/08
Odd, I've seen these jugs for at least 4 years now at the regional grocery chains here in Cleveland, except they are 3 liter instead of 1 gallon jugs. They're okay - the milk tastes the same. We only bought them a few times. Regardless of size, we always end up throwing half our milk away, plus I found out I can only tolerate organic milk, so we felt no need to buy non-organic 3 liter jugs of milk.
I do agree with you about people who are making a big thing about having to pour milk differently. These are probably the same people who complain about adhesive postage stamps and envelopes - I guess because they miss licking stamps or something - and having to carry their own bags to grocery stores. *roll eyes*
Cassaendra at 8:58PM on 06/30/08
Oh, I LOVED these. We had them in the Seattle area Costco stores (duh - we were ten miles from Kirkland of "Kirkland Signature"). They were great - I could fit 6 jugs in my fridge instead of 4. We had issues getting the lids off, but I think Costco was clued in on the issue and played around with it and fixed it. (There was a foil/cardboard covering under the lid that was very difficult to get off at first. They played around with a little plastic tab on it, and then went back to the original design but I think the glue was less...gluey. They came off easier.) It took me about two days to get the hang of pouring milk, but...the hole is bigger, so you just adjust for it.
Wordy, but my verdict is - Love it. Miss it.
Teahlo at 9:58PM on 06/30/08
The end is nigher than I originally feared!
srhcb at 10:21PM on 06/30/08
Since I switched to Costco for the bulk of my supplies, this is the jug my milk comes in.
I guess I just didn't notice a difference in the pour. 95% of the time I'm pouring into a measuring cup.
Oh...and I love the way it fits on the fridge door!
thewrighttaste at 11:35PM on 06/30/08
Love the new size. It looks efficient in so many ways. But yeah, the pouring really threw me off for a while. I remember the first time, I had milk all over the table. But rock-n-pour... sounds like a winner.
eschk at 2:14AM on 07/01/08
people will get used to it....no biggy...
Nope. People will go to the other big box store to get their milk which is now sold in a similar but much easier-to-handle container.
The Costco behemoth is unwieldy and only becomes comfortable to pour when it's half empty. Sam's milk bottle has a smaller pour hole and your first pour is not quite as uncontrollable a gush as the Costco container. Try pouring milk from a newly-opened bottle Costco bottle into your cup of morning coffee. Unless you're drinking out of a mixing bowl, you'll get at least some milk on the counter.
chiff0nade at 5:28AM on 07/01/08
Where is milk 2.58 a gallon? Wow! We're paying 4 something per! 6.99 for organic! I don't drink it but my wife does. I'd like to see bottles like that for spring water.
furrbrain at 5:56AM on 07/01/08
we've been getting our milk in this type of jug at the coffee shop where I work. I dont see a problem with it. its alot more convient to fit in the fridge and pouring is really not that different. People will always complain about anything "new" that just seems to be the way we are. Eventually the grippers will put on their big girl panties and deal with it. ;)
huneybumper at 7:31AM on 07/01/08
I've seen this type of container at my Costco for the last two years. The family have difficulties pouring milk, and drinking it out of the container. I don't seem to have problems pouring it myself, and drinking from the container? I'm against it anyways.
jdolanie at 8:48AM on 07/01/08
Tried it once and hated it...But the lower cost will probably have me trying it again
pcbaga at 9:00AM on 07/01/08
Yea, saw this in the paper yesterday and immediately thought, "uh, those people are idiots to complain about cheaper milk." That was probably a tad harsh, but it's crazy that people would buy a more expensive product because they cannot pour from the new one. Uh... right.
foodinmouth at 11:13AM on 07/01/08
I don't get to Costco regularly, but I remember buying these and not liking them. I can't remember why. It wasn't just the pouring issue (although if you had little kids trying to pour milk, I could see it being a problem). Maybe it was taller and I had to adjust the shelves in the fridge to make them fit? Or maybe it was trying to hold two of them in one hand? I guess I didn't think about it again because my Costco is far enough away that I only go a few times a year. I would still buy the milk if it saved me a lot of money.
aharste at 4:35PM on 07/01/08
good grief. people complain about everything! good for the environment, saving money is a gooood thing. no crying over spilt milk! ;-)
Steamy Kitchen at 4:24PM on 07/02/08
You know, while I was pouring milk (without spilling any) from the container I got at Sam's Club, I wondered - Did Costco lower the price any from before they switched containers? You know, now that there isn't all that (expensive) heavy duty cardboard between flats of containers on a pallet?
I bought the massive, ill designed Costco container twice. That was all it took. Now milk is on my Sam's list vs. my Costco list.
chiff0nade at 12:01PM on 07/03/08