Should Glass Milk Bottles Make a Comeback to the Supermarket Shelves?

It’s a no brainer that glass and milk go hand in hand. Not only does glass help keep milk fresher for longer, but it also ensures that it retains all its taste and goodness. Those who read our exclusive interview with the world’s first milk sommelier, Bas de Groot, will know that if you want to taste milk like a sommelier, you definitely need to use glass to keep the taste intact. Even dairy farms agree that glass is the best option for storing milk:

“Glass has many benefits both emotionally and practically. It really communicates what our product is about – not just the quality but the fact that it’s environmentally sound too,” says Don Dennis, director at Wee Isle Dairy Ltd. Roseanne McEwan, brand development manager at Cotteswold Dairy, has also seen the emotional preference with her children’s friends: “They are fascinated by milk in glass and really like it. I really think it is becoming very in vogue to have milk in glass.”

Glass is also a material with undoubted environmental credentials, as it is 100% recyclable. Moreover, glass packaging can be recycled infinitely, which is a great choice for today’s environmentally-conscious consumers. It’s no wonder 84% of shoppers across Europe choose glass as their preferred packaging choice.

Sharon Todd, head of marketing at Ardagh Group, Glass, Europe, says: “It strikes me that modern brands need to recognise the potential power that a product even as relatively staple as milk packaged in glass will offer a consumer in terms of passion, emotion and heritage. It is doubtful whether this is the case with any other material”.

It seems then, that with numerous practical benefits as well as a consumer preference for glass packaging, it might be time for retailers to re-consider using glass bottles. Once the only form of packaging for milk, perhaps glass has come full circle and it’s time to bring back milk in glass as the rule, rather than the exception.