Flinging And Flanging
Posted by terrepruitt on March 8, 2017
I have been wondering for a long time why we need added plastic on our milk cartons. I mean, what do the people who package our milk think we are? Do they think we actually think that a milk carton is so “flingin’-flangin’ hard to open” that we can’t manage it? We ARE NOT Kevin, the guy who couldn’t open a milk carton. Ya know, the guy Joey played in the Amazing Discoveries commercial on Friends. Why do we need additional plastic to access and pour our milk. I know that none of us suffered from not being able to get the milk from a carton when I was young. In fact, I would guess that no one had suffered from not being able to get the milk from a carton the entire time before they added that extra bit of plastic. So I have been wondering about the reasoning ever since I have seen that extra amount of plastic on the carton. Then you know what? Last week I bought a carton of milk. And as I was twisting off the cap made of plastic I noticed something . . . . it got bigger! Now, not only is there an unnecessary cap made of plastic on my milk carton, there is a LARGER amount of unnecessary plastic making up the cap that is used to access my milk.
I don’t get it. Do you? Why do we need MORE plastic? Milk cartons are not recyclable as it is and for years now they have had plastic added to them — because, I guess, you know . . . .Kevin?!?!? — and now there is even MORE plastic added to the milk carton. What is up with that? I don’t understand.
Again, it is my opinion that this cap device on milk cartons is TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY unnecessary and a TOTAL and COMPLETE waste of plastic, so I am totally and completely at a loss as to why they are now BIGGER.
I am not saying that when I was young or in my lifetime when they had regular cartons, that I didn’t rip it wrong once-in-awhile. But then, I just used the other side. And I still got the milk out without extra plastic on the carton or the “Milk Master 2000.”
I do know that I love that commercial on Friends because I use it as a reference A LOT. I say, “What are you like Joey, and you can’t open the milk?” Or, “Geez, I feel like Joey, I can’t open the milk.” Or, my favorite, “Now I can have milk every day.” And, no, the comment doesn’t get used when having anything to do with milk. It is just when I am being clumsy or having a moment. Or – in regards to the last comment, when I have been clumsy but then finally accomplish the task. Or when I see another product on TV that is pretty much not necessary.
What about you? How do you feel about the milk carton cap? Every thought about it? (And, of course comments about Friends are always welcome.)
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
liv said
I love Friends. That is all. 🙂
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terrepruitt said
There really needn’t be more. 🙂
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Michele Moyer said
I agree with you – too much wasted plastic!!!!!!!! There is such a disconnect going on these days between what is necessary and what is actually happening. We can recycle our milk containters here – as long as we take out that piece of plastic!! Argh!!!
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terrepruitt said
So they want the carton, but not the plastic? I would think they would want the plastic! Here they say milk cartons are not recyclable.
But, you gotta love Joey, yes?
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Michele Moyer said
Yes…I forgot my Friends comment – Gotta love Joey! I am learning that recycling is not as easy as I always thought…my attitude was always “oh just throw it in the recycle, let them sort it out” if I was not sure about an item. Then I invited our local recycle center to give a presentation at our co-op last month and learned a lot of things I was doing wrong!! I guess every facility is different. She also said that the arrows with the numbers on cartons mean nothing, the companies doing that do not always consult with the recycle centers.
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terrepruitt said
Awesome. You are getting an education along with your kids. 🙂 I am sure we are all doing a lot of things wrong when it comes to recycling. We were putting our milk cartons in the recycle then someone said they are not recyclable so then I checked the pamphlet we get and, it says they are not. And, I am betting what you said it true, every plant is different. Different facilities have different machines and procedures. I know that recycling – like everything else – is a big business. I am sad to hear about the arrows. I really thought that was our way of knowing what was what. That is such a drag. So annoying when things that are supposed to be useful are not used properly and end up being just a waste of effort.
Thank you so much for sharing some of what you learned!
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terrepruitt said
Ok, so I decided to look again. And now I am seeing that milk cartons ARE recyclable. So we used to do it, a couple of people told me they were not, I looked (at the time) at the information we had available and it said they were not. But now the info says they are. Perhaps things change, just like we were saying . . . different facilities can do different things. Now I will start recycling them again. Geez!
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Christine said
This is why I love you! You always think about things, whatever it is, and ponder them. Personally, I don’t buy milk unless I need it for a recipe. I’ve never thought about the plastic pour spout, but now that you mention it, you’re right! WHY do we need it?!?! I’ve always assumed it was just for convenience. You know how we live in a world where convenience is of the utmost importance?!?
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terrepruitt said
But you COULD drink milk EVERY DAY, if you had that thing Joey is advertising. Otherwise it is just, too hard to open the carton! HA!
I don’t think we need it. I was even trying to think of people with arthritis or some sort of differently-ableness, that might require the screw-on-top, but it is actually more difficult to open – I think – than just using the carton like we used to do in the “old days”. I think it is just another way to add cost onto an item.
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