Ditching Plastic Milk Jugs

mackenziehartung
Nov 13
4 min read

We often get the question: why doesn’t Maple Hill sell traditional gallon-sized milk jugs? Our 100% grass-fed whole milk, the only milk we make, comes in a half gallon carton — differing from conventional milk gallon jugs you commonly see in the store. There are a few interconnected reasons for this, all going back to Maple Hill’s focus on regenerative farming, which we’ll explore here.

Table of Contents:

Why Doesn’t Maple Hill Use Gallon Plastic Milk Jugs?
Better Food, Less Milk
Regenerative Farming

Why Doesn’t Maple Hill Use Gallon Plastic Milk Jugs?

Our 100% grass-fed dairy doesn’t come in plastic milk jugs for two main reasons: we don’t use chemical and dietary additives to make our cows over-produce milk, and we’re focused on regenerative farming that gives back to our environment wherever possible.

Conventional dairy farms are built to efficiently produce the most milk possible for the lowest possible cost — this makes it easier to maximize profitability. The history of plastic milk jugs has been an evolution in efficiency since the first home milk delivery that historians believe happened in Vermont, in 1785. Before the era of refrigeration, it was much easier (and safer) for local dairies to deliver milk directly to customers for the day.

Glass milk bottles became the standard in the late 1800s, but they weren’t an ideal solution. Glass bottles were heavy, would often break, and frequently got lost during and after delivery. Dairies also had to cover the cost to wash and sterilize the glass bottles once they were returned, at risk of contamination.

The solution was a single-use product that could efficiently and safely transport milk to customers. Many wax-lined carton patents tried and never caught on, until 1915 when John Van Wormer developed the gable-top paper carton that we still see today — you can see this same design in our own half gallon cartons.

The expansion of bigger commercial dairy operations and the development of plastic technology merged together to deliver the plastic gallon milk jug, which became the standard from the late 60s and to today. Jugs are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyester, which is a lightweight way to transport and store milk.

Today, we better understand the environmental and health impact of plastic. It’s unfortunate that according to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 30% of the kind of plastic used to make milk jugs is recycled. Americans throw away 14.4 million tons of plastic each year — you can imagine the impact that that has on our environment.

Maple Hill’s classic carton is a smarter choice for recycling, and the materials used can safely break down even if they aren’t recycled. This reduces our environmental impact and takes into account what we now know about plastics, especially in large shapes and quantities.

Better Food, Less Milk

At Maple Hill, we prioritize the well-being of our cows. Conventional dairies provide feed that is carbohydrate rich (like corn, soybeans, and wheat) and to encourage milk production — it’s the same reason that conventional dairy gives their cows hormones. Their aim is to make larger cows that produce an unnaturally large amount of milk, at the risk of the cow’s health. Since these cows aren’t getting the nutrition they need from their diet, they need to have vitamins and nutrients supplemented with their food.

Cows are built to get all of the nutrition that they need from eating their natural diet of grass and foraged plants. By allowing our cows to graze freely on lush pastures, we ensure they live natural, stress-free lives. This slower pace of life leads to healthier cows and, ultimately, more nutrient-dense milk. While our cows may produce less milk, it's a trade-off we gladly make for the superior taste and quality of our dairy products.

Our 100% grass-fed, organic approach may result in less milk, but it yields a higher-quality product. With around 50 cows on each of our 135+ family farms, we’re not trying to outpace conventional farm output. This is why on average, our cows live 3x longer than conventional dairy cows — they aren’t living stressed, confined lives that require them to make more milk than they are naturally able.

Regenerative Farming

Beyond the health and care of our 100% grass-fed dairy cows, we aim to take care of the land and environment that we rely on. Regenerative farming goes a step beyond sustainability and ensures that we are giving back to the environment, creating a better place than before.

As our dairy cows graze, they naturally fertilize the soil with nutrient-rich manure, aerate the ground with their hooves, and stimulate plant growth. Our farmers use nature-friendly tactics like rotational grazing to help distribute nutrients evenly across their pastures. Over time, these practices transform less productive land into thriving ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and reducing the pressure on fertile land used for human food crops. This biodiversity also helps to sequester carbon from the atmosphere — not only reducing emissions, but actively removing them.

A plastic milk jug is a common item found in grocery stores and fridges with an uncommon history and evolution. Our focus on the wellbeing of our cows and our land motivate us to package our products differently, and much more thoughtfully. By choosing cartons and providing smaller quantities of milk, we're making a conscious effort to reduce our environmental footprint and support a more sustainable future.

You can read more about Maple Hill’s commitment to regenerative farming and the wellbeing of our dairy cows on our blog: