It's just my opinion, but I think milk stored in a paper carton tastes better than milk out of a plastic jug. I don't have any hard evidence that this is in fact true (beyond my own taste buds), but I did run the question past a few other people and they concurred.

So why then is it that the general public prefers milk in plastic jugs? Most likely because plastic jugs are attractive and easy to handle. Give the plastics industry credit, it keeps coming up with containers that are more user-friendly every year. In a nutshell, the plastics industry is winning the paper vs. plastics war though innovation.

Think for a minute about the traditional square, handle-less milk cartons. They haven't changed since I was in elementary school and that wasn't exactly yesterday. They are just not easy. Arguably, the biggest drawback is the challenge of undoing the spout. You immediately think to yourself, “Am I going to get this thing open without ripping it to shreds?” Maybe.

Why am I on this milk carton rant? Because the National Dairy Council (NDC) is pushing a 2002 study it conducted that suggests school children prefer milk in plastic containers over milk offered in the classic paper cartons. And, the marketing spin goes something like this: If the round plastic bottles appeal to the kids, they'll drink their milk and grow to be healthy adults, making everyone—especially the NDC and dairy farmers the Council represents—very happy.

Not surprising, the study has gained some exposure in the media and is picking up strength. The Chicago Sun Times recently published a story on its web site and the author writes, “Encouraged by a milk industry study that shows children drink more dairy when it comes in round plastic bottles, a growing number of schools are ditching those clumsy paper half-pint cartons many of us grew up with.” Note that “clumsy” is the perception the reporter has of a paper carton.

The reporter goes on to quote New Hampshire's Agriculture Commissioner, Steve Taylor, who says “'Those ... square containers are awfully hard for kids. Teachers say you can spend the whole lunch period just walking around and opening those containers.”

According to the article, Taylor states that he has watched the trend spread to some 320 schools in New England. In addition, the NDC's study indicates that over 1200 schools across the country have switched to the plastic bottles.

On page 16 of this issue, Dr. Cathy Foley, Paper Group Vice President for AF&PA, takes the study to task and brings to light some of the questionable conclusions reached by the NDC. She also mentions that the industry intends to take some counter-measures of its own.

“The paper industry and its members are conducting a joint analysis with the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) this spring to examine all the variables and financial implications of different milk offerings to school meal programs,” Foley says in her editorial.

Milk cartons aren't the biggest problem the industry faces, but they personify many of the challenges at hand for paper makers and converters.

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