Milk In A Paper Box

A toy factory owner in Toledo, Ohio, John Van Wormer (1856-1942), patented the folded gable-top paper milk carton, referred to as a “paper bottle,” in 1915. His cartons were delivered to dairies in flattened form. The dairy would fold, fill and seal the cartons. Because the cartons could be thrown away instead of reused, Wormer’s product became known as “Pure-Pak.”

Waxed gable-top paperboard carton structures were designed to be erected in wet environments of dairies during the 1920s. Nearly ten years later, Van Wormer created a machine to form, fill, and seal (FFS) the Pure-Pak containers. The American Paper Company later acquired the patent and worked to perfect the machines building the first six between 1929 and 1934. But it took nearly twenty years for the public and businesses to accept the square paper milk bottle. Glass was still the container of choice for milk deliverymen until the 1950s and self-service markets. The gable-top cartons were easy to handle and did not break. During this decade, a Norwegian engineer, Christian August Johansen, acquired the license for Pure-Pak cartons and filling, and the company Elopak (European Licence of Pure-Pak) was born. Over the years, Elopak has updated its carton design including plastic closures on the top to improve usability.

Note: In the US at least, milk today comes in plastic containers, while half-gallons of juice generally use a paper box with a plastic pour spout.