Here in Britain, we’re tired of our plastic milk bottles. We’re sick of them. They have to stop.
Alternatives? We’ve had laminated cardboard cartons for a while now, but since that outer coating is just as slow to biodegrade…not much of an improvement. Even worse, they’re made directly from trees. In an ideal world it’d be a delight if all dairies switched back to using glass (and there are signs that clinking milkbottles are making a comeback, as we reported here), but until that catches hold, plastic equals profits.
Maybe there’s a third way. The bottle you can see up there is made from over 90% recycled paper, takes just one third of the energy required to make a standard plastic bottle (and less than half the carbon footprint). It still contains a plastic lining – but I’m sure you’ll agree that 90% off is a bargain for the environment.
And for manufacturers too? The key to Greenbottle‘s success is mass-production, and that’s going to be reliant on backing from the big supermarket chains – a tough nut to crack for a new product. Which is why this is terrific news. Fingers crossed that in the next few years, the gallons of milk we Brits pour into our endless cups of tea are going to be coming out of recycled paper, or glass, or corn-starch….anything but plastic, please.
– via Eco-Libris
Image: Greenbottle