| One end indicates "Open Other End" and the other end says "To Open." The milk carton looks symmetrical so it hardly seems to matter where you form the spout. But it does matter. The reason has to do with how the ends get formed and sealed when the carton is produced. Milk companies buy the paperboard for milk cartons unformed. Machines at the milk distributor form the paperboard into the familiar carton shape, seal the bottoms, fill the cartons with milk, and then seal the top. The machine is adjusted so that only one side of the "open this side" end, the gable, is sealed. When you pull the gable sides, the spout is exposed and opens. If you pull back the gable sides on the other end of the top and then squeeze the sides, nothing happens. The gable on that side stays sealed. Why? The secret is a special adhesive that is applied to the pour spout to make it easier to open. The adhesive also prevents the solid bonding of paper to paper that occurs on the "open other end" side |
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