> milk came in glass bottles which were returned, sanitized, refilled, and re-delivered. My mom remembers this time, too. And I've seen these in at least one g

> milk came in glass bottles which were returned, sanitized, refilled, and re-delivered. My mom remembers this time, too. And I've seen these in at least one grocery store in Seattle. In researching[0], it turns out the only farm currently providing milk in glass bottles near Seattle is in Lynden, WA - about 170 miles north, near the Canadian border. So not only do the glass bottles weigh more and need more energy to transport, they're so rare around Seattle that they must be transported 10x further than milk encased in paper or plastic. Additionally, there is some cost and difficulty in owning, cleaning, and managing an inventory of glass bottles. There is only one producer of glass bottles in North America, Stap said, in Ontario, Canada. Another challenge of bottling in glass is keeping an inventory to accommodate the bottle return process and the reality that some bottles never come back. This learning curve added another aspect of trial for Twin Brook Creamery, and for every one bottle they send to a grocery store Stap said they need from eight to 10 bottles at the farm. While researching this, I found this from another local farm - they view milk boxes very positively for numerous reasons, and suggest recycling them: Cardboard cartons are the best packaging for fresh, high quality milk. Cartons protect milk from harmful exterior light, and also retain the temperature better than plastic or glass. Our milk cartons are also recyclable. Using cardboard is the best material for packaging milk, and it's the right decision for the environment.[1] [0]http://grownorthwest.com/2012/12/twin-brook-creamery-by-the-glass-bottle/ http://grownorthwest.com/2012/12/twin-brook-creamery-by-the-... [1]https://www.smithbrothersfarms.com/faq https://www.smithbrothersfarms.com/faq