At the Milk Processing Plant Tankers transport the milk from dairy farms to the nearest milk processing

plant. On arrival, milk from the tanker _______ (test) again in a laboratory to ensure that _______ (keep) at or below 4 degrees Celsius during transport, and ___________(deliver )within 24 hours of milking. The tests also monitor protein levels and check for the presence of bacteria and antibiotics. Then, the milk _____ (pump) into large insulated vats at the factory.

What About the Packaging?

At the factory, milk _____(send) through a processing line to be packaged in cartons or bottles. Cartons_______(make) from cardboard lined with a polyethylene plastic. The cartons, in varying sizes, are flat and then __________(form) into their proper shape in a machine just before being filled. Once the correct amount of milk _______ (put) in, the carton is heat sealed, stamped with the use-by date and packaged in milk crates which__________(store)in a huge cool room until they ________(collect) from the factory. In the past, milk _________(package) in glass milk bottles (and some countries still have milk delivered this way).

Milk cartons first came to Australia in 1958, when the Model Dairy in Melbourne began packaging milk in 150 ml and 500 ml Tetra Pak tetrahedron-shaped cartons. At the time, 160,000 new glass bottles were needed in Melbourne alone every week to keep up the delivery of 1.3 million bottles of milk a day. Fast facts In 1968 in Victoria, only about 1% of milk ______(sell) in cartons, but by 1972 milk cartons had 20% of the market. In 1970, the blow-moulded disposable plastic milk bottle _________(introduce). In 1987, only about 2% of milk _________(sell) in glass bottles. Recycling Milk and Yogurt Containers Whether your milk comes in a plastic bottle or cardboard carton, the empty container is a resource that can be turned into new products. Recycling Plastic Milk Bottles

High density Polyethylene Plastic identification Code Plastic milk bottles ________(make) from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). After collection from your kerbside recycling bin, they________ (separate) from other types of plastic at a materials recovery facility (MeRF) and then baled. The baled bottles _____(send)to reprocessing plants where they _______(chop) into small flakes and they ______ (wash) using recycled water to remove any residual milk, labels and caps. The flakes _______(melt) and filtered to remove any other contamination and the molten plastic ________(extrude) into strands and chopped into pellets ready for remoulding into new products such as outdoor furniture.