Milk In Plastic Bags

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30626, 17 December 1964, Page 19

Milk In Plastic Bags

(Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, Dec. 16. Housewives in East Anglia are getting their milk—-in a bag, and a plastic bag at that. Bottles are “out,” and the milk bags are thrown away. The original idea is French, and it has been adopted by an independent milk company. A polythene sheet is used to seal bags of milk at the rate of 24 a minute. A member of the company said: “This is the first alter-

native container to the archaic milk bottle which is competitive with it in price. “Bottles cost l-16th of Id. The pint sachet is dearer at present, but with changes we are making in the thickness of the sheet and its printing, we shall get it down to about the same price. “Substantial cost reductions on transport, storage and the end of bottle washing will make the system cheaper than the old one. “We believe it is a complete break-through in the distribution of milk.’’ The firm have switched 70 per cent of their deliveries to bagged milk, and 97 per cent

of the customers to whom it was offered preferred this method. A roundsman who delivers 115 gallons a day to 450 customers, said: “The new packs save a lot of time in loading and unloading.” A detailed work study of its delivery system, coupled with milk-bagging, has enabled the company to introduce a fiveday week for roundsmen, while maintaining a sevenday delivery. Vans are being replaced by completely enclosed vehicles carrying three times as much milk as before. Refrigerated vans may tg brought in later.