Comments on: Sainsbury’s chooses non-metric jug system

by: Mike Oxley

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:41:42 +0000

The Weights and Measures Act 1985 (as amended) sets out the units of measurement that are “legal for trade” – that is, the legal units that MUST be used when weighing or measuring goods at the point of sale or letting. With one or two exceptions (draught beer and cider, and milk in returnable bottles) these are exclusively metric.

The bags or plastic flagons for milk, labelled primarily in pints, must therefore be regarded as returnable.

May I suggest, that all such bags or flagons are returned to the supermarket for them to reuse.

by: Dan

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:33:07 +0000

It is getting close to the end of the 8 week trial period. Any word so far if the trial was a success or failure?

by: Martin Vlietstra

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:29:30 +0000

It should be noted that Autralia started her metrication program in response to Britain starting her metrication program. Moreover, there was no “pro-EU” sentiment behind the Australian program - on the contrary as the short term the Australian economy was hurt by Britain joining the EU with Australia losing her “Commonwealth Preference” advantage in the UK market.

by: Davyth

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:35:39 +0000

Sainsbury’s in Northern Ireland sells milk in litres only so I assume these will not venture across the Irish Sea. Are Northern Ireland people less backward than people in Britain in terms or progress I wonder? They obviously cross the border to the Republic without having a nervous breakdown at the sight of all metric road signage….

by: Jack from Australia

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:14:34 +0000

I visited the site to learn what UK is doing with measurments and I was amazed at the mess UK is in with imperial / metric. Thankfully Australia has been metric for 3 decades. It is by far the best method and much simpler than the antiquated and outmoded imperial system. We buy milk in litres - very simple and containers are measured the same way. It is not cool to resist change which represents genuine progress. Just accept and agitate for a better system - good luck in trying to work you way around the mishmash you currently have.

by: philh

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:10:50 +0000

I am prompted by m. powell’s contribution but see it in a wider context and hope that others will accept it if I go off topic a little.

Most right-minded people nowadays value changes that address (sensibly)the very serious issue of environmental management.

I offer here a sincere perspective intended to show that the objective of a single rational system of measurement has a key role to play.

I’m not an expert on plastics or profess to know the economics of recycling material versus the practice of re-using existing containers etc but it strikes me that the real issue is trying to find a cheap and lighter substitute for glass with all it’s advantages and none of the hazards of being easily breakable and becoming dangerous when it does so.

Plastice bags instead of rigid containers may seem a step in the right direction but in the end it is still part of that extravagent throw away mentality that got us into trouble in the first place.

Whatever the solution in the end it will not be helped by a plethora of different incompatible sized containers being sustained by the backward notion that old units of measurement have to be preserved for old times sake.

by: Alex Bailey

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:27:10 +0000

I think what Tabitha fails to realise is that if all the supermarkets suddenly dropped the pint there would probably be a brief outcry in the tabloids then, after a short period, most people would wonder what all the fuss had been about.

After all, we don’t see people picketing petrol stations because they can’t buy in gallons… most when the younger generation speak of gallons now they usually mean 5 litres and no doubt very few of them could tell you how many pints are in a gallon!

by: m. powell

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:52:51 +0000

a marvellous way to cut down on plastic bottles.Well done Sainsburys

by: Peter K

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:23:30 +0000

I bought a 1-litre jug last year from Waitrose for use with their 1-litre milk bags. I don’t see why I should have to buy another jug from Sainsbury’s.

Perhaps Sainsbury’s can tell me how to fit their quart into my litre pot

by: philh

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:22:35 +0000

It is understandable that Tabitha is pleased to hear of this but it is wrong to suggest that big shops are suddenly “realising that imperial measurements are more popular than metric and that most people prefer buying milk in pints”.

In case you hadn’t noticed it is quite hard to find ordinary liquid milk packaged in litres in the UK which has been the case for some years. So what’s new? In any case if litres are not available for most brands of milk how can anyone tell what the buyer prefers? Other consumable liquids such as fruiit juice can only be bought in metric quantities so are we to conclude that people prefer metric for fruit juice?