Forget Plastic - Let’s Go Back To Using Glass.
Water, soda, juice, milk - they all come in plastic single-use-only bottles, with the majority of them ending up in a landfill rather than a recycling bin. But back in the day (although I am not sure what day, but before my time) they all came in reusable glass bottles that were returned to the manufacturer when you were done with the drink. Wouldn’t it be great if we could go back to those days? Imagine how much trash we could keep out of the ground!
Beverage makers who are looking forward to the future rather backwards to the past should take it upon themselves to invest in glass bottling facilities…I know for a fact that I would definitely choose their product over other ones in plastic bottles. Sure, it would require an initial investment in facilities and the glass bottles themselves, but imagine the return for both their bottom line and the planet’s resources. Glass can be used over and over again between sterilizations, never ending up in the trash or in a recycling bin. Plus, they can be made from old broken glass, so it’s a win-win.
The only downside I see to this would be the shipping costs associated with a heavier end product…but I have to imagine that we can come up with better transportation options before we can come up with a better alternative to glass instead of plastic. Wouldn’t it be great to get your milk or soda in a nice glass bottle that can then be used again and again, instead of just tossing the container in the trash?
Ah, the good ole days… 
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10 Comments, Comment or Ping
heather in PDX
I buy milk in glass bottles at my local food co-op. There’s a $2 deposit on the bottle, so I bring the previous empty with me to cancel out the deposit on the new quart. It’s from a local dairy that also delivers, but the minimum order is a little more than my standard 2 quarts a week…
http://norisdairy.com/home.html
http://peoples.coop
Apr 9th, 2008
Frugal Dad
Amen! Everything tastes better in a real glass anyway. We drink out of glass mason jars left over from some canning we did a few years ago, and I reuse milk jugs for little projects around the house (collecting rainwater to irrigate my square foot garden, etc.).
Apr 9th, 2008
Ron@TheWisdomJournal
Man, you’re making me feel old. I actually remember getting milk delivered in glass bottles. (Gulp)
Of course, we could go back to the old wax covered cardboard cartons too! Those are easily recycled, right?
Apr 9th, 2008
David
Unfortunately, Ron, the wax is from petroleum - and not recyclable. That’s why recycling centers throw all those cardboard milk containers in the trash - it is a mixed product with paper and wax and they cannot be separated. Sucks, I know…
However - you remember milk in glass bottles being delivered? That’s cool - I remember seeing it in the store, but not getting it delivered. Maybe you could be a new spokesperson for the movement?
Apr 9th, 2008
Jenn
I lived in Eugene for a summer, some time back, and there was a local company making these amazing drinks which they bottled in returnable glass jars. I loved the beverage, and I *loved* the fact that the bottles were reused… not just recycled, which takes way more energy, but just put back into service exactly as they were. So great! More please!
Apr 9th, 2008
Amanda
Cheers! We use our mason jars for absolutely everything, and even though we haven’t bought pasta sauce in 6 months or so we’re still reusing the jars for storing grains and granola. So useful!
Apr 10th, 2008
Jamie
They still do that in Europe! All the glass Evian bottles and Coke bottles are sent back to the store and then are reused. You can see the rings around the top of the bottle where it has gone back thru the manufacturing plant to be cleaned, refilled and resealed. And the best thing with glass … if it breaks - burn it back down and start over.
Apr 10th, 2008
david
I forgot that Jamie - you are so right. I used to go to Europe several times a year and I remember now that everything was in glass. Why is it that Americans just don’t care as much?
Apr 10th, 2008
Chase
In Mexico they still use glass bottles. At my favorite taqueria, there are Mexican sodas that are in glass bottles that the taqueria expects you to give back. And it’s in the Bay Area for crying out loud!
Apr 10th, 2008
Veshengro
@David…
While this may be the case, e.g. everything, basically, in glass bottles in mainland Europe you will, unfortunately not find that here in the UK. On the other hand you can still get milk delivered by the dairies in glass bottles. Do not try to buy it in glass bottles though in the stores.
David, you are also so right about the wax coating on the cardboard milk containers (and the cardboard coffee take-out cups). People think “oh, cardboard - can be recycled”… erm, sorry, no it can’t. The coffee beakers over here in the UK now are actually lines with a thin plastic film which makes it even worse. Rather then have plastic take out cups..
Apr 11th, 2008
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