Remove Cap! - Quick Rinse! - Crush Em! - Bring Em In!

Why recycle used milk containers?

1. To reduce household wasteRecycling these bulky containers reduces the burden on household garbage containers and collection bills.

2. To reduce the costs of collecting and handling milk container waste. Milk container recycling programs help address the chronic problems of high collection costs and fluctuating market prices by providing financial support to stabilize returns and encourage the expansion of recycling.

3. To recover high value materialsMilk container recycling programs optimize the recovery of HDPE, one of the highest-value recyclable materials. In fact, plastic milk jugs are the corner-stone of many recycling programs, providing the high revenues needed to support the collection of less valuable materials.

4. To support markets for recyclable materialsThe reality is that recycling is an economic equation. By maximizing the recovery of used HDPE and polycoat material, milk container recycling programs provide recyclers with the feedstock they need to keep their operations viable.

5. To extend the life of landfillsEvery tonne of used milk containers represents approximately 15,400 four litre milk jugs and 15,900 two litre cartons. Recycling these containers saves precious space in our landfills and the costs of getting the material there.

6. To conserves natural resourcesFor health reasons, used milk containers are not recycled into new food containers. But they are used to make a variety of new plastic and paper-based products. This reduces the consumption of hydrocarbon resources (petro-chemicals and wood fibre) required to make new materials. And using recycled materials requires only 25% of the energy that is consumed in making new materials.

7. To preserve our pristine natural environmentRecycling used milk containers reduces litter, garbage and the extraction of raw materials from our fields and forests. It’s one of the many small things that add up to a big contribution to our quality of life.

8. It’s the right thing to doRecycling is the RIGHT thing to do.

What Happens to Recycled Milk Containers

Plastic Milk Jugs

Milk jugs are made from high-density polyethylene plastic (HDPE), which is one of the most versatile plastic resins and most valuable plastics for recycling. In Canada, there are several plastic recycling facilities that convert scrap used milk jugs back into usable plastic.

The used jugs are baled and sent to the recycling facility where they are chipped and washed. The clean chipped plastic is then melted at high temperature and formed into pellets. The pellets are sold to plastic forming plants, which use the material to make non-food plastic products including such items as:

  • plastic pipe
  • drainage tile
  • flower pots
  • plastic dimensional lumber used to build picnic tables, patio furniture or decks
  • non-food packaging such as plastic detergent bottles and lubricating oil pails
  • toys, cases and other formed plastic products

Each collected bale weighs approximately 550 kg and consists of more than 8,300 used milk jugs.

Polycoated Milk Cartons

Milk cartons are made from ‘polycoat’ – lightweight, high-grade paperboard sandwiched between two thin layers of polyethylene film. The result is a strong, rigid container that effectively maintains the integrity of the product inside.

Polycoat material can be converted into new material using a process known as hydrapulping. A hydrapulper is like an enormous blender, where a combination of heat, water and agitation break down the material to produce raw fibre, or pulp. The pulp is then used to make new paper products such as corrugated medium (the inner layer of corrugated cardboard), linerboard, household tissue products and even fine writing papers. The small amount of residual polyethylene can be screened off for use in other plastic and composite materials.

How do dairy companies help provide recycling solutions?

  • Increasingly, Canadian dairy processors are working with public and private recyclers to provide financial, promotional and operational support for programs that ensure milk containers will be removed from the waste stream and recycled into new products.
  • The Canadian dairy industry advocates pro-active recycling solutions. By collaborating with various provincial, municipal and private recyclers, the Canadian dairy suppliers strive to support and enhance existing infrastructures to divert used milk containers from the landfills and conserve precious energy and resources.
  • Most Canadian provinces recognize that milk is a unique food product essential to good health and nutrition, and requires innovative recycling solutions that:

    1Respect the product’s particular packaging and handling requirements, since milk is a ‘live’ product.

    2Ensure food safety by minimizing the risks of cross-contamination resulting from contact with other food products.

    3Minimize consumer costs.

    4Maximize convenience since milk is consumed primarily in the home.