Powdered Milk is made of heresy.

Stardate: March 17, 2014
13th day of Lent
What--exactly--is plastic #2?

The problem of the impossibility of not purchasing plastics entirely came crashing home to me a few weeks before Lent began, when I went to the store on a 'trial run'.  The goal was to buy my regular groceries list, and note the problem areas--where there was no product available in THAT store that was plastic free. 

Apples?  Check.  Bananas?  Check.  Cereal?  Aw, I can get that in bulk somewhere.  Check.  Eggs, check.  Bread.  Dang, they all come in plastic bags; will have to buy from a baker or bake myself.  Granola bars.  Double dang, will have to bake (that's TWO things I'd have to bake, and to date, the odds haven't been good.  In fact, I've managed to bake precisely one loaf of bread.  I have a recipe for granola bars...somewhere...) Lettuce, check.  Potatoes....hmmm, probably a check if I shop at Whole Paycheck.  Actually, if only I can buy local or bulk or at actual produce retailers, I could probably buy a lot of my food without plastic!  ...She thought, optimistically.  Then reality came.

Milk.  Damn.

My house goes through almost three gallons of milk a week.  That's a lot.  It's a required food product at this point, what with the small people here and all.  But to date, I've only found it here in plastic.

Once upon a time, when I lived in the utopia that is Staunton, VA (you should visit), I was able to buy delicious local milk in glass bottles. It actually existed.  There was a great return deposit too.  It was as if I was transported back in time to a magical land where dairy farmers milked happy cows by hand, shooting the delicious cream directly into wide glass bottles and the mouths of kittens.

This does not exist here.

Here, all milk comes in one of three forms: in gallon jugs of #2 plastic, the most common form.  Also in half gallon paraffin/food grade wax covered 'boxes' with plastic spigot things.  And powdered, which is a heresy from hell.  I mean, I understand the meaning and purpose of powdered milk.  It makes logical sense in survival situations and perhaps on space missions.  But aside from the fact that no powdered milk I've found seems remotely concerned with things like rGBST, or antibiotics free, or organic, or happy cows--most powdered milk is consumed with the mere business of being entirely the wrong state of matter for milk (a solid? I mean, milk is a liquid.  Can you imagine milk-gas?  Oh, retch.) and has no concern for what usually occupies my angst-ridden shopping excursions.  

"Is rGBST and antibiotic free but not organic or small family farmed milk still good enough for my precious precious offsprings?  I mean, it's a $4 difference! Or will they curse my thrifty ways to the heavens and their therapists when they are old?  How will they even know?  How long have I been standing here?  Look busy.  Look smart.  Look thoughtful.   Grab a milk already.  Go! Go!  Someone is watching you stare at milk!  Wait!...do I have a coupon?"

I have not found a solution to this problem for Lent; it seems I'm going to have to continue buying milk as I pretty much always have.  There are rumors of local milk in glass bottles (even, gasp! RAW milk, for those daring enough to flaunt government edicts) but I don't know where to actually find them, save wandering forlornly around the farmer's market.  Leave a comment if you have a tip.

Which is what brings me to a contemplative exercise involving #2 plastic.   What are you?
A quick examination of the jug in question reveals the expected little arrow-triangle-thingy and the code "HDPE", which is a terrible acronym if it's supposed to be a homophone.  "Hudpee" sounds like some form of vulgar public exposure during Mardi Gras.  Moving on.

HDPE actually stands for "High Density Polyethelene,"  and I found these cool facts at the webpage of Dynalab Corp.  I'm not hawking their wares, they just had the info I wanted.  I guess they make stuff. 

• A linear polymer, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is prepared from ethylene by a catalytic process. The absence of branching results in a more closely packed structure with a higher density and somewhat higher chemical resistance than LDPE. 
• High density polyethylene lends itself particularly well to blow molding, e.g. bottles, cutting boards, dipping baskets, dippers, trays and containers.

And these are the particularly cool facts, many of which I don't fully understand:

Maximum Temperature: 248°F 120°C Minimum Temperature: -148°F -10 0°C Autoclavable: No (thanks! Good to know) Melting Point: 266°F 130°C (check) Tensile Strength: 4550 psi

Hardness: SD65 (??) UV Resistance: Poor Translucent Rigid Specific Gravity: 0.95 (??)

Excellent for many food related products, FDA, NSF, and USDA approved for direct contact (depending on grade of material). This material machines extremely well.

Good chemical resistance and high rigidity make it a good choice for trays and tanks.

Other uses include pipe fittings, wear plates, hinges and cutting boards.

Good impact resistance, light weight, very low moisture absorption, and high tensile strength. Not a good candidate for gluing. Mechanical fastening is one option, but preferably joined by hot air or nitrogen welding. Also, Ultrasonic, Laser, and infrared welding.

And actually, this is the most helpful thing I've found yet: a PDF of the chemical properties of most forms of plastic!  Seriously, it includes both chemical and physical resistance--meaning what forms of chemical reactions it can withstand, as well as max hot/cold and how it can be sterilized.  Very cool.  I might even want to print this out. So I think I've learned why milk comes in #2 jugs: it's pretty strong and flexible for a plastic, easily made and remade, and much lighter and impact resistant than the original glass containers.  I bet there's a much wider profit margin with shipping savings from glass to plastic too.  I'm sure there are horrible things about plastic #2 (see previous post of article borrowed from some other guy), but so far...I guess this is ok?  Probably not, as if I had an alternative I'd take it.  So questions for the future:   What is the difference between milk in plastic #2 jugs and paraffin coated cardboard?   Should I switch?   Should I swallow my revulsion and reconsider powdered milk, sometimes stored in paper and cardboard?  Maybe that weird chalky texture is just in my head.  It says to "serve cold"...perhaps that means "frozen with chocolate;" I bet that'd taste great.  Why would Jesus care? Well, actually, given the biblical theme that consistently uses milk as a symbol of goodness and blessing (re: God will give/gave the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey), then it's probably safe to say that milk generally is a good thing (aside from modern methods of overproduction, factory farming, antibiotic overuse and resistance, etc.), at least it is perceived as a good thing.  It's probably true that God still isn't keen on things that work against biblical promises and the general goodness of creation.  I have got to stop trying to make Important Theological Points right before bed.  I vagueify in a terrible way.  I also make up words like vagueify.  Basically, I note another problem, one that I think is theological in nature: the pursuit of profit over most other concerns has led to a reduction of options in general, a narrowing of choice that ends up reducing any potential actions.  One might say this is the free hand of the market moving to optimize the consumer's desires for a cheap product in conjunction with the producer's desire for profit, BUT it ignores system-wide long-term concerns...and basically it's a form of greed.  And I disagree with Gordon Gekko here, greed is not good.  Greed focuses on the short term benefits of the individual, rather than the long term effects on society or others.  The unthinking overuse of plastics has permitted the industry and the society that demands the product to set aside long term concerns over environment and health in favor of convenience and low costs.  And once it is realized that there ARE other costs and risks associated with health, there are now no other options for bottling available.  If I don't want plastic containing my milk, my options are 1) find a magical glass bottling dairy in another state 2) don't buy milk anymore or 3) learn how to milk a pet cow myself.  Are these even allowed in city limits?   4) Use powdered milk. Blech. I think what I'm starting to work on is a theological question about greed and the 'greater good', although this is so subjective it's hard to define.  A land flowing with milk and honey...and #2 hudpee jugs. Peacefully, Marie