In Netherland, the folding crates of Albert.nl, the delivery branch of big supermarket chain Albert Heijn, are very popular. They're sturdy, they fold up, everybody uses them for everything, and the delivery men totally support your right to use them for whatever you like.<p>And albert.nl doesn't lose any money on it, because you pay a 4 euro deposit for the crate. If you keep it, they've already got the money to replace it.<p>So why don't US dairy companies do that?
I wonder if the arrival of the CD helped? The milk crate is precisely the right size for the storage of 12 inch LP albums (presumably just a hair over 12 inches inside diameter). Using the crate on its side, they are a cube 12"(+ a hair) H & W and a smidgeon under 12" deep, which meant you could actually get to the cover (the albums would be marginally proud in that orientation IIRC. Plus you could then use the crates as the legs of a coffee table or whatnot.<p>Err, or so I've been told.