4 ms·
Yes! And it's not just economic costs. It's "lifestyle", more or less. So a few decades ago, all beer bottles were the same size and shape. You took your empti
by mirimir 8y ago
Yes!
And it's not just economic costs. It's "lifestyle", more or less. So a few decades ago, all beer bottles were the same size and shape. You took your empties back to the store, and got paid for them. Distributors bought them from stores, and manufacturers from distributors. So they got reused until they broke.
Maybe 40 years ago, some regional US beer makers still did this. Maybe some still do. I saw this 10-20 years ago in Mexico, for both beer and soda bottles. And it was also pretty common for wine bottles.
But now? Now my wife buys French yogurt in tiny glass bottles. Tiny heavy glass bottles. We could save them, but they're really too small for anything but liquor. And who wants to drink from old yogurt containers, in any case?
in the late 60s and 70s, a crucial aspect of the food coop movement was buying bulk stuff, and using your own containers. In Mexico, old-style milk stores often didn't provide containers. And if they did, it was plastic bags. Handling a 2L plastic bag of milk is quite the experience.
I can't imagine how the US could go back to bulk distribution and reusable containers. Or, for that matter, how we could undo suburbanization. But there are limits to externalities, and we are hitting them.
- tomc1985 8y agoStill common in South America (as of 5 years ago) and Europe (as of about 9)
- ams6110 8y agoReusable containers died as soon as plastic containers were developed. Plastic containers are so much lighter that significant money is saved in transport, and obviously the handling and transport for the returns, the inspecting, washing, sterilizing costs are all gone. Huge win for the producers, not sure whether it's a net win or loss overall environmentally.
- mirimir 8y agoSure. That's why it happened. But what to do with all those containers? Many current disposable containers are durable enough for long-term use. Even a couple centuries ago, they'd be passed down through families. Maybe they still are, somewhere. But what do I do with hundreds of ~4L plastic milk bottles?
- cwkoss 8y agoUse them as bricks and build houses.
- mirimir 8y agoGiven the season, I'd been thinking of an ice house. But I suppose that one could fill them with concrete, and stack them. Maybe scatter some small rocks between layers, so they deform and ~interlock. And maybe even punch some rebar through them. But you'd need to cover the outside, to slow weathering. And stuff doesn't stick well to polyethylene. Gorilla glue does, so you could add a layer of foam, and then siding. I suspect that getting a construction permit would be iffy, though.
- nostrademons 8y agoStarting to catch on again in the Bay Area. Mason jars have been all the rage for a while now (for everything - yogurt, soda, beer, kombucha, pickling), while we use old Prego containers for things like storing leftovers and bringing food over to friends. Most boba shops will also let you bring your own thermos and fill it for you.
- mirimir 8y agoThat's good to hear. Me, I live in Generica, and everything is disposable. But we eat too much Talenti gelato, and those are useful containers (food, hardware, etc). In the 70s-80s, I carried camping stuff (cup, bowl and utensils). I got some resistance, with concern expressed about food contamination.
- simonsarris 8y agoTalenti containers are great for art stuff. But I caution you, they MELT under heat very easily! I guess its not a problem for their original purpose but I found this out the hard way.
- Scoundreller 8y agoThat's because they're number 1 and 2 plastics. Look for number 5 plastics for your autoclave needs (still no guarantees because of different plasticizers, but the plastic itself won't melt).
- mirimir 8y agoUmmm, "autoclave"? Are you growing shrooms? We used wide-mouth mason jars for that.
- mirimir 8y agoYeah, learned that too. So I thaw stuff very slowly, and transfer to a bowl for reheating. But it's a plus that they're somewhat elastic, so they don't burst when you freeze stuff.
- advertising 8y agoThey still do the glass bottle returns in Mexico.
- mirimir 8y agoCool. Some of those old bottles are outright beautiful. Frosted where the rub together in crates.
- ams6110 8y agoThey still do it in the US also, but you'll pay about 4x more for your milk. You can often find milk on sale for $1.99/gallon (it's a "loss leader" for supermarkets) while a half gallon in a returnable glass bottle will be $3.50 or $4.00 not including the bottle deposit.
- joshvm 8y agoA store in the UK (sainsburys) briefly experimented with selling milk in bags. You bought a big jug which the top-up bag clipped into. Ostensibly it reduced plastic waste. Pretty sure it was cheaper than buying bottles. It never really caught on though and they canned it. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/greenerliving/7307719/Milk-in-a-bag-at-Sainsburys.html https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/greenerliving/7307719...
- selimthegrim 8y agoBagged milk is still big in Canada (at least a decade ago)
- lewisgmb 8y agoConfirmed, milk is sold in 1l bags and has been all my life.
- Scoundreller 8y agoThey're 1.33l. A company once tried the usual "Let's reduce the size of the package and nobody will notice" shenanigan and made 1L bags, but it was blatantly obvious when it didn't fit the plastic jug anymore.
- reaperducer 8y agoEvery large American city I’ve lived in has buy-back glass milk bottles in the major supermarkets. I have about $35 worth in my garage right now. I really need to take them back and get my money.
- nicoburns 8y agoIt seems like a good startup idea...