Morrisons bringing back glass milk bottles in Kent and Sheffield

MrsStepford

Morrisons is teaming up with local farms eg Plurenden Manor Farm, in Kent Plurenden Manor Farm (plurendenmilk.co.uk) to use glass milk bottles at 90p per pint. Supposedly each milk bottle can be cleaned and re-used for up to ten years. 

Good thing or not ? 

I wouldn't buy them myself, because I freeze milk so that I have extra on hand. There have been several occasions when a supermarket (Morrisons, ASDA, Waitrose) hasn't been able to supply me with any organic milk on an online delivery. 

Zinger549

We have always had a milkman so get milk in glass bottles. Only  get milk from the supermarket if we need a bit extra to cover us until next delivery.  Our local milkman was on the telly the other day and said he's got about 40 new customers due to the lockdown.

I think it's a good idea as a lot more people are now trying to reduce the amount of plastic they use. .

jon81uk

Good in theory but they won't covert many people at 90p per pint, when a four pint bottle is about £1.15.
I think the 4 pint bottles are a bit too cheap, they could go up to £2 even. But most people won't be interested in the glass bottles if you need to collect and return yourself from the supermarket.

mikb

+1 on the "no good for freezing" aspect, and I bet quite a few of them will be just chucked in the recycling rather than washed and returned.

coffeehound

Maybe they should put 10p refund on returning the bottle, like with Corona lemonade bottles.  But no sadly i don't see this working on a scale to be worthwhile

Torry_Quine

I get my milk delivered in glass bottles already. Yes it's a bit more expensive but it's worth it for me for the convenience and glass rather than plastic. The milk stays fresh longer too.

pat100

Just don’t read the rather far-fetched short story "A Note for the Milkman", by Sidney Carroll where the deranged murderer delivers his poison via a reusable milk bottle. 

briskbeats

Nobody in Sheffield will pay 90p for a pint of milk. I can't see any bottles being returned either.

newpuppy

90p a pint is too dear to tempt most people, for sure, with or without good intentions for the planet.  Are you supposed to wash and return them to the supermarket too?  Bad enough remembering your shopping bags, let alone chasing around gathering up bottles as well.  I remember having milk delivered in the olden days, in bottles of course, which you had to wash and leave on the step.  That was a nice system, except when your milk was left out in the sun all day or your order got muddled and you didn't get any, or you forgot to cancel the milk when you went on holiday.  And how many times did I leave my money out for the milkman and it got pinched?  Nah, what we're doing right now is fine for me.  We get two 4pt cartons for a couple of quid, delivered once a week to the door by the supermarket for free, and that's that.  Sorted.  I don't know where we would store a week's worth of milk in glass bottles.

MrsStepford

A deposit might help. In France I've seen machines into which customers put wine bottles and they get money back. 

It is possible to order and amend online from dairies and pay online eg milk & more but that doesn't solve milk theft or blue tit damage. 

coffeehound

Really this is only going to appeal to a pretty narrow demographic of people who are comfortably well off and aiming to minimise plastics at almost any price