New jug can do everything but pour milk

A few weeks back, my family was in a pinch for milk, so my wife decided to bypass my organic snobbery and get a gallon of mainstream moo juice from Sam’s Club. We were both struck right away by the jug’s bizarre boxy shape—and its baffling inability to pour without spilling half its contents on the floor. My first assumption was that they’d brought it in from Canada, where milk packaging often trumps practical use. But no, according to The New York Times, this is the new face of milk at Sam’s, Wal-Mart and Costco. It’s a more eco-friendly design that allows jugs to be stacked for shipment instead of loaded into plastic crates. And apparently I’m not the only one struggling with how to use this industrial milk cube. While offering free samples of cookies and milk, Sam’s also has tried to train customers on how to “tilt and pour” without making a mess. I might recommend adding some idiot-proof diagrams to the packaging, too. Until then, it might just be easier to make my own.

—Posted by David Griner

July 1, 2008 in Griner | Permalink