Glass milk bottles make a comeback as plastic backlash grows

Traditional glass milk bottles are making a comeback (Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Glass milk bottles are making a comeback as the backlash against plastic gathers pace among British shoppers.

The nostalgic clink-clink of the bottles is making a return with dairy firms reporting a surge in demand for milk in traditional glass bottles.

Bottles, once a common sight on doorsteps across the country, have all but vanished since the 70s and 80s, along with the milkman.

MORE: Waitrose to ditch disposable coffee cups from all stores by autumn

Now, however, as consumers become environmentally aware, there is a growing demand for milk to be once again sold in glass bottles.

Doorstep milk deliveries now make up just 3% of milk sales across the country (Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A BBC survey of 20 dairy producers showed that 17 reported an upsurge in demand.

• Thomsons in Lanarkshire has seen a 7%increase in demand for glass since January
  Acorn in Co Durham and Brecon Milk in South Wales both reported a 10% rise in demand

• Pensworth which covers the South of England and Wales from nine depots, reported a 7% rise in glass sales since January which has meant they’re investing in a new production line

• Creamline in Manchester have signed up more than 1,000 new customers, mostly online orders

• In Carmarthen, Nigel Dragone of Nigel’s Dairy has doubled glass bottle deliveries from about 4,000 to nearly 9,000 a week

The Muller-owned Milk & More, the largest deliverer of milk, said two-thirds of the bottles they send out on their floats are glass.

MORE: Iceland supermarket to ban palm oil from all own-brand products

The firm said: “Since the start of the year, Milk & More has had an additional 15,000 new online customers, of which 90% are ordering milk in glass bottles.”

Theresa May has put plastic waste recycling and reduction front and centre of her premiership.

MORE: Plastic bottle deposit return scheme gets green light – so how could it work?

She has pledged to make the UK a world leader in tackling plastic waste. Among the measures being explored is a so-called “latte levy” on disposable coffee cups – similar to the successful 5p levy put on single-use plastic supermarket bags.

Trade body Dairy UK said doorstep deliveries make up just 3% of milk sales in the UK – around 1 million pints per day – and glass milk bottles make up 3% of all milk sales.