Crinklies remember the years when the milkman came to each house and left pints of the white stuff in glass bottles on the doorstep. Once the bottles were empty they were collected when the fresh milk was delivered and reused many times.
The practice almost entirely disappeared until just recently when, in a bid to reduce plastic waste, it was revitalized in of all places the trendsetting big smoke of London.
There is something fresh, premium and appealing about products packed in glass. For the manufacturers though it poses challenges to make sure there are no glass chips in the bottles and no safety risks to staff on the line.
Just a few years ago we’d have doubted that the old glass milk bottle would ever return but this could just be the tip of the iceberg.
We see more and more shops popping up selling grains and pulses, nuts and candy by weight rather than prepackaged. You can bring your own jar and use it again and again.
Microbreweries with beer in bottles are the in place for a night out not to mention farmers markets for weekend warriors rather than the ancient hippy.
Whats next? Well maybe the easiest way to predict is look back. Eating seasonally? Eating less? Cooking from scratch? Growing what you eat? Or horror of horrors eating offal?
Will there be a return to the village or the corner store where you got your steps by walking to get what you needed? Will the high street with butcher baker and candle stick maker make a takeover from the takeaway?
It all sounds so wholesome and quaint. Will we be willing to pay for it though or risk loosing the convenience of the one stop shop?
In the meantime ……………….
Blessing # 481 – Retroretailiation
Booming Banter 