Are Grocery Stores In New York Ditching Milk Jugs?

Why do we drink milk out of a jug anyway?

Maybe we should make the switch to a Canadian’s way of life – at least, when it comes to milk. 

You may have been to Canada a handful of times, sure, but until you do your grocery shopping across the border, you probably have never seen milk sold like this. 

In the United States, you purchase milk by the jug, but in Canada, you buy milk by the bag.

That’s right – our Canadian friends bag their milk. They are sold in loose pouches ranging from half a liter to 1.33 liters. In Canada, the milk comes in a larger package stuffed with three “bladders” (or isolated bags) adding up to four liters. 

The bags are made of plastic and they aren’t rigid like a jug may be. Canadians are a big fan of the bagged milk idea because it uses 75 percent less plastic than the average plastic milk jug and require less energy to ship. While the milk bags can’t be refilled after opening, they may just be the future of the United States. 

If you are reading this as a never-before drinker of bagged milk, know that you should not punch a straw of any kind into the bag and drink it like a Capri-Sun (I made that mistake at 17 and every Canadian on Earth would have frowned upon my actions). To use the plastic “bladder” of milk, consumers usually purchase a reusable pitcher and place the unopened bag inside, with a corner facing the pour spout. Then you cut off that corner of the pitcher so it makes for an easy pour, and you can recycle the milk bag when you’re done.

United States does actually have milk in a bag, but it's not available yet nationally. However, it is common in the upper Midwest, in states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. You can find it at a chain called Kwik Trip (or the Kwik Star in Iowa).

Maybe we'll see it in New York state soon!

I guess we should probably find a pitcher for ourselves, first.