In an effort to reduce carbon emissions associated with the heavier weight of glass bottles, a business that has long been committed to banning single-use plastics from its milk delivery service is considering plastic as a possible solution. While glass is generally considered more sustainable, the weight of glass bottles contributes to increased carbon emissions during transportation.
To address this issue, the company has developed a new bottle made from polypropylene, which is the lightest polymer among all commodity plastics. This material is rigid, durable, heat-resistant, and unlikely to leach chemicals when exposed to warm liquids. It took three years, three failed attempts, and seven teams of experts to develop this new bottle, which will be used for Abel & Cole’s Organic Refillable Milk range. The project involved Berry Global, Campden BRI, and long-time supplier Berkley Farm Dairy, with funding support from Innovate UK.
The unique aspect of this new packaging is its ability to reduce the carbon footprint of single-use milk bottles by half after just four returns. In comparison, it would take more than 15 returns with glass bottles to achieve similar emissions savings. Additionally, the company is willing to share its packaging formulation secrets with others interested in manufacturing their own refillable plastic bottles. By switching to reusable plastic for transporting the 7 billion liters of milk distributed in the UK each year, the dairy industry could collectively reduce carbon emissions by 300,000 tons according to the company’s estimates.
When it comes to packaging materials, plastic is often viewed as the enemy. However, the decision to use plastic in this innovative way challenges the notion that glass, despite its sustainability advantages, may not always be the better choice due to its greater weight and energy-intensive production process.
The introduction of Club Zero Refillable Milk, which utilizes existing packaging resources and technology, enables safe multiple refills and is completely recyclable. While there have been challenges along the way, we have pioneered a more sustainable method for delivering and refilling milk, and we are proud to choose plastic. The potential impact on the entire dairy industry is immense if everyone makes this switch!
Ed Gosling from Berkeley Farm Dairy expressed excitement about the sustainable impact of Club Zero Refillable Milk, stating, “As a dairy, we currently use a lot of single-use plastic and this is something we really want to cut down on. After supplying organic milk to Abel & Cole for more than twenty years, we’re thrilled about the innovation of Club Zero Refillable Milk and its potential for transforming the industry.”
