Got 470,000 Tons Of Milk Container Waste?

Packaging can be smarter than you think. Most milk cartons today are not sustainable because they have an inside liner made of aseptic polyethylene that cannot be recycled. This results in over 470,000 tons of milk containers dumped every year. But what if there was a different solution?

Sustainable solution uses a natural layer that breaks down cardboard using same bacteria that causes milk to spoil, so container can be safely composted

Designer Joe Doucet thinks he has an answer. Joe’s sustainable solution is to use a natural layer which gets broken down by the same bacteria that causes milk to spoil (lactococci and lactobacilli). While the milk is still drinkable, the internal layer remains intact. But as the milk sours, the lactic acid breaks down the internal layer and comes into contact with the paperboard container. It then reacts to pH pigments in the outer layer, prompting a color change signaling to the user that the milk is no longer good to use.

The container can then be safely composted in your municipal composting system or your garden. Smarter.