Rethinking Milk Packets

Designer: Aravind Ravi
Designer: Vaishnavi Prabhakaran
Location: India
Project Type: Student Project
School: MIT Institute of Design
Packaging Contents: Milk
Packaging Substrate / Materials: LDPE
Printing Process: Flexography

Most commercial dairies in India have introduced packaging and distribution of milk through polyethylene pouches. The plastic pouches are single use packages, very light in weight, and hence distribution costs are less compared to glass bottles. Losses during pouch filling are less than bottle filling and less floor space is required for packing section and cold storage but the problems start once the end user receives these packets. Storage upon cutting the packet open, handling the packet that’s often covered in condensate from refrigeration, unpredictability of the flow of milk out of the packet upon decanting etc are common issues.

The aim of the project was to redesign milk packets for India while maintaining production costs but with a new and improved design to help with handling of the product. The suggested design would ensure that a 10 year old or an elderly person would be able to handle, open and decant milk with ease.

What’s Unique?
The tetrahedron shape has several structural advantages. The packet is always resting on one face and hence, makes the top vertex stand up straight. This helps prevent the milk from spilling, and thus gives structure and stability. The specially designed Spout that also acts as the handle at all the vertices helps maintain a steady flow of milk while decanting. Cutting above the printed line ensures that the opening is always the same size.

The pack is designed to be manufactured with the same kind of equipment as used currently for rectangular pouches with some changes in axis of sealing. The tetrahedron also has a better surface-to-volume ratio. This decreases amount of raw material used and subsequently, the cost of the product.