Got the bottle to beat the plastic population
A Wishaw dairy has seen a surge in customers switching to glass milk bottles as the campaign to abolish plastics heats up.
A growing number of consumers in Wishaw, Newmains and Shotts, whose milk is delivered by Thomson Dairies, are requesting that their morning pinta arrives on their doorstep in traditional glass bottles rather than plastic cartons.
Thomson Dairies, which also delivers to around 8000 doorstep customers in Monklands and West Lothian, is now selling 23,000 retro glass pints of the white stuff every week - that’s a seven per cent increase in recent months.
Customers who previously bought milk in plastic cartons from supermarkets are doing their bit for the environment by having their milk delivered in washable, re- usable glass bottles, which aren’t available in convenience or superstores.
The glass bottles are collected from customers’ doorsteps, returned to the dairy farm, inspected by farm workers and machinery, cleaned and treated and reinspected before being refilled.
As well as seeing a spike in glass popularity among its domestic customer base, the dairy at Etna Industrial Estate, Wishaw, is also delivering milk in glass bottles to schools, nurseries, cafes, offices and factories.
The family firm, which employs 21 people, also delivers pints in traditional glass bottles to care homes.
The BBC’s widely- watched Blue Planet, presented by David Attenborough, highlighted concerns about the effect of plastic waste on sealife and prompted consumers to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Prime Minister recently pledged to scrap all avoidable plastic waste by 2042, while the Scottish Government is planning to introduce a deposit and return scheme.
Thomson’s glass to plastic ratio is now 50/50, compared to 57 per cent plastic to 43 per cent glass three months ago. New customers are voting with their feet, with a massive 90 per cent of them choosing glass over plastic.
Glass bottles can be in circulation for years and can be used up to 30 times.
Thomson Dairies director William Thomson says although the re-use process makes glass pints slightly more costly, it’s a price his company and his customers are happy to pay.
“We are welcoming the shift back towards glass bottles and the public’s aim to be overall more eco- friendly conscious,” said William, who hopes that the move away from plastic is a trend that’s set to continue.
“We are aiming to convert more to glass, to reduce payment collections by offering direct debit payment to reduce our carbon foot print and we will also be introducing the electric milk float, bringing altogether more eco-friendly services.”