CASE BRIEF
Case and Citation
Minnesota v Clover Leaf Creamery, 449 U.S. 456 (1981)
Court Rendering Decision
U.S. Supreme Court
Identification of Parties
In this case, Clover Leaf Creamery is the Plaintiff in this case against the defendant the State of Minnesota challenging the constitutionality of the state under the Equal Protection Clause, alleging that there was no basis for the state banning the retail sale of milk in plastic nonreturnable, non-refillable containers such as paperboard milk cartons.
Decision of the Facts
In 1977 Minnesota legislature a statue of banning the retail sale of milk in plastic cartons to control the solid waste arguing that plastic containers take up more space in waste disposal dumps. The case was brought to the Minnesota Supreme court and found evidence to the contrary. They found out that the jugs took up more space than the plastic cartons in a land fill.
Statement and Discussion of the Legal Issues in Dispute
The legal statue that is being debated in this case is whether the Minnesota statue that was passed in 1977 is unconstitutional even though it has been proven that the jugs take up more space in a landfill. The statue actually permits the sale of these products even though they take up less space and use less energy to produce. The issue is also to decide if this statue is still rational based on the new information that has been provided obviously showing that the information on trash disposal is incorrect.
Subject Court Final Decision
The ban on plastic nonreturnable milk containers bears a rational relation to the State's objectives, and must be sustained under the Equal Protection Clause. The Equal Protection Clause does not deny Minnesota the authority to ban one type of milk container conceded to cause environmental problems merely because another already established type is permitted to continue in use.