Things that time forgot.

[ahinton]

Presumably they do, since no-one else collects or delivers them, and they remain the property of the dairy.

If they are for sale in shops anywhere, they need to be returned there.


One does assume that. But the best must not be the enemy of the good.

I daresay but, since milk deliveries in any kind of container are on the way out and are (to remember the thread topic) something that time, if it's not already forgotten it, is very close to doing so, one cannot but help bear in mind that this is no wonder given that the entire UK dairy industry is also on the way out, as the sheer number of dairy farms going out of business with incresing rapidity is surely evidence if anyone ever needed any.

[Serial_Apologist]

I daresay but, since milk deliveries in any kind of container are on the way out and are (to remember the thread topic) something that time, if it's not already forgotten it, is very close to doing so, one cannot but help bear in mind that this is no wonder given that the entire UK dairy industry is also on the way out, as the sheer number of dairy farms going out of business with incresing rapidity is surely evidence if anyone ever needed any.

Is there no alternative?

[jean]

Can I just remind you, ah, that earlier you wrote

Well, there are no milk deliveries in any kinds of bottle here and, even if there were such deliveries in glass bottles, the only way that they could be recycled would be to place the used bottles in the recyling wheelie bin along with all other recycling and, when the recycling's collected, they'll all be smashed as the bin contents are tipped into the collection vehicle ...

Which is not the case.

If there were such deliveries, the bottles would be collected, in due course, by the person who had delivered them.

That's all.

[ahinton]

Can I just remind you, ah, that earlier you wrote


Which is not the case.

If there were such deliveries, the bottles would be collected, in due course, by the person who had delivered them.

That's all.

I have to admire your optimism! Round here, the recycling "service" very rarely comes to collect any recycling maerials, even though properly binned. Dairy's on the way out in UK, so how would anyone reasonably expect those few remaining people who work in the delivery of dairy products in UK to do this reliably?

[ahinton]

Is there no alternative?

Yes - at least three that immediately come to mind; (a) powdered dairy produce at affordable prices, (b) cheap imports and (c) fancy organic and sometimes unpasteurised products sold directly at the farm gate at relatively high prices for cash to those who can afford them, thereby dodging the taxman, none of which of necessity require delivery staff or glass bottles.

[jean]

I have to admire your optimism! Round here, the recycling "service" very rarely comes to collect any recycling maerials, even though properly binned...

We're not talking about any recycling service - we're talking about a dairy which delivers milk. And collects the empty bottles afterwards, to be refilled and re-delivered.

This is not optimism - it actually happens, as we speak, day after day, as countless posters here can testify.

I am very sorry nobody delivers milk to you - but as you have decided it would be too expensive if they did, perhaps it's not so bad after all?

[ahinton]

We're not talking about any recycling service - we're talking about the dairy which delivers your milk. And collects the empty bottles afterwards.

This actually happens, as we speak, and countless posters here can testify.

But not here or in many other placs, as my own experience testifies; it used to happen far more commonly but it's on the wane now not least because the UK dairy industry is likewise. You must surely have read about dairy farms in UK going to the wall almost as frequently as UK pubs do?

I am very sorry nobody delivers milk to you - but as you have decided it would be too expensive if they did, perhaps it's not so bad after all?

It doesn't bother me at all, especially as I've not been used to such a service in many years, so there's really no need to be sorry; the thought that someone might do this and then couldn't pick up the empties afterwards becuse the firm's gone bust has little obvious appeal.

So far, I can still source fresh milk from a variety of outlets from supermarkets to farm shops to farm gates but I don't expect that to go on forever if dairy farms keep being forced to go to the wall.

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes - at least three that immediately come to mind; (a) powdered dairy produce at affordable prices, (b) cheap imports and (c) fancy organic and sometimes unpasteurised products sold directly at the farm gate at relatively high prices for cash to those who can afford them, thereby dodging the taxman, none of which of necessity require delivery staff or glass bottles.

I see.

[jean]

But not here or in many other places, as my own experience testifies...

I know that! But it's not the point!

[Warlock]

The dairy industry Isn't finished. For several reasons it is going through a bad period. A lot of dairy farmers are giving up but others are expanding even to the extent of milking a thousand cows or more. A few years ago a 6,000 cow unit in Lincolnshire was refused planning permission.

[oddoneout]

[QUOTE=jean;538940]But you don't put your milk bottles out with the ordinary recycling - the milkman collects them when he delivers the next lot, and takes them back to the dairy to be refilled. /QUOTE]
Yes the milk bottles are re-used until they reach the end of their working life, when I imagine they are recycled through the usual channels. I well remember the revolting smell from the bottle washing plant when I lived near a dairy.
As a matter of interest Jean does the cream settle to the top or is it homogenised now same as supermarket milk?

[jean]

You can get homogenised I think, but the silver top isn't.

[french frank]

When I first started at my village school (and when I left, in fact), in the winter the little row of third-of-a-pints were lined up inside the big iron fireguard to warm up by the time morning break came. Even if it still has free milk, I doubt the school still has open fires in the winter! (And quite right too)

[ahinton]

The dairy industry Isn't finished. For several reasons it is going through a bad period. A lot of dairy farmers are giving up but others are expanding even to the extent of milking a thousand cows or more. A few years ago a 6,000 cow unit in Lincolnshire was refused planning permission.

It's been going through it for an awful long time. Yes, a lot are giving up and, while some of the small specialist units that sell a premium product direct to those who can afford it rather than to supermarkets are doing quite well, the medium sized ones are in trouble and seem not to be able to extricate themselves from that, not least because they're trying to meet massive and increasing overheads while supermarkets are endeavouring to force them to accept less and less for their product. The larger ones are indeed more able to weather the storm, as you suggest, but there's not so many of them and it's far from plain sailng ever for them.

[mangerton]

When I first started at my village school (and when I left, in fact), in the winter the little row of third-of-a-pints were lined up inside the big iron fireguard to warm up by the time morning break came. Even if it still has free milk, I doubt the school still has open fires in the winter! (And quite right too)

In the depths of winter we were told to stand the bottles on the CH pipes which ran just above the floor. The effect of this was to raise the temperature to a fairly revolting lukewarm level.