The Milk Bag...Tired of Being Treated Like Yesterdays Trash!

A CHALLENGE - Stop throwing out milk bags. Stop buying freezer and sandwich bags. Reuse the milk bags and wait for the surplus to start building up.

I noticed that the actual bag that carries the milk is not recyclable in my community and I can see why. It is however an extremely useful little tool that you pay for, discard, and readily pay for a substandard substitute on a daily basis.

Manufacturers go to great lengths to provide high quality, "industrial strength" packaging to ensure their product arrives to you, the end consumer, safely. You wouldn't have it any other way and you pay for it. The problem arises when you throw this away and replace it with an expensive "consumer grade" product. The milk bag is an excellent example of this. There are many more, I'm sure.

The lowly, food grade, extremely tear resistant, stretchable, cuttable, waterproof, thick walled and well bonded milk bag. We throw this away, alot, and buy cheap sandwich and freezer bags that leak or easily burst at the seams for outrageous prices considering my opinion of product failure. The milk bag has uses beyond just a bag due to its unbelievable strength. Trust me, try to stretch it with any sort of control and you'll see what I mean. Like I said..."Industrial Strength" not wimpy little whiney, "I wish I could live up to your expectations" consumer strength.

What you need: 1 milk bag
hand(s)
scissors (optional)

Step 1: Wash, Rinse, Dry

Wash, rinse and dry thoroughly as you would any dish to remove any leftover milk residue.

To dry properly, the bag must be expanded to keep the sides apart and stood vertically or hung. I finally found aother use for that wire banana stand.

Note - Cutting the top of the bag open at this point will make washing and drying easier, but it will limit the uses later.

Comments

[PurpleJ3nn]

FYI: to the best of my knowledge, the milk bags are only in Canada; the USA uses cartons & jugs. I have friends in the USA who marvel at the milk that comes in bags here in Canada.

[countrygiri]

yes we have square pizza,though most people get it in a circle XD And it's only -40 in the winter. I don't assume all Americans believe the stereotypical bunk about Canadians,but I've found it quite a few times. (( Like when an American kid came to Canada and was amazed we weren't learning how to be lumberjacks,fur traders or mounties,since that's all we do here hahahahaha)) Anyway this is a great idea,my Grandma has been doing it for years but I shall integrate it into my household. Thank you for this!

[dave17]

That of course goes both ways.

[wiley coyote]

I have to admit. I kinda stole the freezer bag idea from someone's grandma too, a long time ago and can't remember who. You know, I'll bet we could learn a lot from grandparents. Just a hunch.

[countrygiri]

I think your right,I learn tons from my gran but sometimes I just don't relize it. Either I get her to teach me,or just while I watch her absently I notice all the little things she does. Grandparents are very helpful

Respect to the elders! :)

[wiley coyote]

I find it pays to be observant. They have years of experience that cannot easily be put into words much of the time. Respect!

[bobhill125]

wats a milk bag were does it come from

[countrygiri]

A milk bag is as the name suggests- a bag of milk.There is three clear plastic one litre bags of milk that come in another bag.You put the clear plastic bags into a pitcher,cut off a corner so you can pour milk and vola! You have your milk! It is used in other places I'm sure,but it is in Canada in normal grocery stores. I read other comments and found out that there aren't any in the USA,unless you go to some sort of specialty store.

[casey321b]

are they inside the milk boxes? like rice milk or soy milk??? I think it is

[baconfish]

I don't think it's been covered already, but just to blow your minds even further:
When we buy our bags of milk, they come in ANOTHER BAG.

Yes my friends, it's true. We buy bags of milk (3) and it comes *inside* another bag. The more you know.

[Weissensteinburg]

Isn't it hard to pour?

[blodefood]

You buy a holder that looks like a pitcher. Set the bag inside it, clip off the corner and pour. I have seen some nice ceramic holders made in pottery classes, too. You can improvise with a small pitcher that will hold the bag, though.

[baconfish]

It really isn't. In fact, the spout (made by cutting a small hole in the corner of the bag) makes it alot easier to pour milk than plastic jugs. I, for one, really hate it when I finish pouring milk out of a new jug and it starts dripping down the outside or collecting in the threads of the cap and drying up. The fact that people are intrigued or confused by milk bags is hilarious. It's milk, people :)

[Weissensteinburg]

There's no way to seal/cover it?

[Goodhart]

Some holders have a little slit where you'd normally pour from, so once you are finished pouring from the bag, you shove the corner where it was cut off, into the slit and it seals fairly well. Bulk places sell milk like this all that time.

[baconfish]

I'm sure you could put a clip on it or something if you really wanted to, but it's no problem to just leave the (small) hole as it is. Just put the milk back in the fridge when you're done.

[dukie]

Like making dry bags out of any plastic bag, fold 3-4 folds tightly at the opening (ie close the opening and fold downwards), then clip adaquately, I normally use clothes pegs on my travels. It holds liquids in or out for a few days if you do it right...i really should make an instructable on this

[Mechanical Advantage]

But doesn't it leak all over? I mean, do you set the bag upright in some container to keep the spout at the top? I can't see just tossing a bag of milk with a hole in it on the shelf and it not leaking all over the place.

[lordofthedonuts]

You put the bag in a pitcher (says Wikipedia). Google bagged milk you'll see what I mean.

[DeimosOne]

funniest thread ever. Theres also a handy way of storing bagged milk, so it's not just lying there taking up much space.. You stack the bags in a plastic container with a hole in the bottom to pull one out, here, I took a picture of mine.

[Goodhart]

That looks like an older version of the soda can holder, is it?

[noble230]

that is awesome

[DeimosOne]

indeed

[FreshPineSent]

Is it true that in cold prts of the world, milk is sold in frozen cubes?

[blodefood]

The only way I have seen frozen milk is in frozen dessert bars where ice milk instead of ice cream is used. But, you can freeze milk if it is near its expiry date and thaw it later. Use it quickly though.

[DeimosOne]

I don't think you can sell milk like that for health reasons, also the solids and liquids in the milk would separate making its consistency different, and usually bad. I do know some people who freeze milk, buy I'd advice against it unless you like some lumps, and some ice flakes floating in your cereal.

[blodefood]

This is quite timely as our city charges 5 cents for plastic shopping bags. Bringing your own cloth bags means you have fewer bags to put out green bin waste. While I have not bought milk in the bags as it is too big for my fridge, I might start buying it this way just for the heavy duty small bags. Great instructable!

[thematthatter]

what country do you live in where consumer milk comes in bags? In the states ours comes in rigid plastic or paper cartons except bulk milk used in restaurants and other large eating establishments.

[Jessie Starlight]

In Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa - we always had plastic bottles for milk.. but here in Uruguay the milk is bagged.... but the bags are all coloured and printed...... i wonder what else we can do with 'em...!?

[infamyseemsshort]

you can find milk in a bag that's inside a box in Wal-mart. Although I don't advocate shopping at Wal-mart! I live Texas if you were wondering..

[thematthatter]

Can you take a picture of it with your cell phone or something Also there is going to be a plant code some where on the box. Its going to be at least 4 to 6 numbers long and will probably start with 48. Can you write that down as well?

[infamyseemsshort]

haha....well I really loathe going within 1/2 a mile of that particular place but I might be able to work something out for you. I'll get back to you on that. Although I will NOT buy any of this because I refuse to spend money there. So you would only be able to see the box.

[dave17]

Don't worry!I spend more than enough at Walmart to make up for you.

[issaandbri]

I live in Canada and we get milk like that here.

[dukie]

In India, most milk or liquid dairy products (custards, yohurts) come in bags, they come in giant tanks to the milk shop and get packaged there. There's usually 2 or 3 deliveries a day and everything is sold at the end of the day. It's mostly because refrigeration is expensive where I was so not many private homes have fridges.

[thematthatter]

That is interesting.

[xenobiologista]

I used to work in my college's dining commons and those huge milk bags were impossible to handle. It was like carrying a giant octopus. Once another student worker dropped one and it flooded half the dining room.

[thematthatter]

I bet. dont they hold like 3 gallons?

[blodefood]

4 litres, actually.

[buddah444]

In Wisconsin, milk has been available in bags since the mid 90's. Purchased in various grocery stores by the half gallon as an alternative to cut consumer waste.