Picking the most eco-friendly milk container

September 23,2024

The plastic jugs rely on fossil fuels for production, and although they can be recycled,.
The plastic jugs rely on fossil fuels for production, and although they can be recycled, they tend to be made into things like carpets, plastic lumber and trash cans, not new milk jugs. Experts say: There are advantages and disadvantages to all three, says Darby Hoover, senior resource specialist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. A 1997 study of the lifecycle costs of milk packaging conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency found that, adjusting for comparable volumes, the gallon jug generated the least solid waste over its lifecycle (4 kg/1,000 gallons of milk) and that the glass bottle generated the most (1,220 kg/1,000 gallons). Tilting the balance in favor of the paperboard cartons, they can be composted in municipal compost programs, though not in your backyard bin, Hoover says. If you remove the plastic pour spout from the milk carton, you can use it to collect your food scraps and then throw it into the compost bin.