Waxed Flat Top Milk Cartons

Paul Jarmusz

I have always been a collector since early childhood.

My business is collecting and selling historical labels (see labelcollector.com).

My first contact with flat top milk cartons came from being

a milk monitor in grade school two students would go down

to the kitchen and pick up a certain amount of milk cartons for

and then have lunch. I remember being told to check the date,

which would be burned in on the top of the carton.

Some 35 years later, I picked one up somewhere in my travels, and now have a collection of 50+. Two years ago when I got my

computer, one of the first thing to search for on the Internet was to find milk cartons to learn what was out there, maybe find a fellow

collector. Some one who knows the history and what years these were commonly used. But all I found was where to recycle the plastic

milk cartons of the 90s. So I thought I would start this Waxed Flat Top Milk Carton Website to find who is out there, who would take the time to email me and to honor a long forgotten piece of history.

Once someone sees this type of milk carton who is old enough to recognize them will smile and say; "Boy I have not seen or thought about those for 50 years!" They’ll recall the fond memories associated with them. On the flip, side a person who looks at a Flat Top Milk Carton turns their head to the side and says, "uh, what’s that?"

First the cow, many folks had one. Later came the milk bottle, and then there was the cone shaped carton, which made great megaphones. These cone types used almost the same covered lid as the milk bottle. Then somewhere came the flat top milk carton, which could stack better and take up less space in the coolers and milk trucks. As with the milk bottles, the flat top carton with the pull-tab was not very sanitary. This is probably the reason the peak top we use today is commonly used since it seals out air and dirt.The peak top has been around since the early 1960s. The flat top must have come out after World War II and only lasted about 10-12 years.

I often wonder how many cartons met their death in school hallways under the heavy foot of the school prankster since they did make a big bang. Or when this type of carton was used (1950s), many people had backyard trash burners including our family. The flat top milk carton was the choice item to start the fire since it caught quickly and burned hot and dropping burning wax, thus getting this almost daily routine over quicker.

# 1) The kind with the plug top (see picture) found always heavily waxed. Then toward the end of using this style, they went to a kind of a plastic paper material like what they use on today’s cartons. I’ve found these in sizes 8oz,10oz.,16oz.,32oz. American Can Co made all the ones I have.

#2) A flat top with glued foil corner tabs that you lift. The carton was foil-lined and had a ¼ inch lip running all the way around the top. This carton I don’t think stacked very well. Was produced a short time or was made by only one manufacture, Found in 32oz.

MY INTERESTS are in the type #1.