From what I gather, there are two clear advantages to bagged milk: Bags use 75% less plastic than jugs and they are cheaper to produce (thus, theoretically cheaper to buy). Aside from that, something about milk in a bag just doesn't seem appealing.

The conversion to bagged milk is now underway in the UK, but according to the Daily Mail it's not exactly being greeted with open arms. While the milk bag revolution in Canada began with in the 70s with the switch to the metric system, the conversion in the UK is being fueled by the environmental movement.

Why is that? Aside from the 75% reduction in packaging, the polyethylene jugs that we know and love aren't quite as recyclable as we like to believe. Oh sure, they're recyclable ... it's just that most of this recycling is done in China.

Personally, I have my own doubts about bagged milk. Aside from the obvious fact that pouring any liquid from a plastic bag into a glass is pure folly, I've also gotta question whether the next innovation in package design will be made of plastic.

Haven't we been officially warned about the dangerous substances (BPA) that leech out of plastic containers by the FDA? Not to mention, last time I checked cities all across the nation were declaring war on plastic bags.

I'm not saying that bagged milk isn't an improvement, environmentally speaking, I'm just wondering if it's enough of an improvement to trigger such a fundamental cultural shift. I mean, if you grew up in Ontario with bagged milk, good for you. But for those of us who grew up with milk in a jug, bagged milk is as alien as buying eggs in a glass jar or eating peanut butter out of a ketchup packet.

Are recycled cardboard cartons not a better alternative? Canned milk?