Sustainable packaging company Berry Global has partnered with Abel & Cole to launch sustainable bottles for its Club Zero Refillable Milk delivery service.
Made with recyclable polypropylene (PP), the bottles can be reused up to 16 times before recycling.
The new bottles are designed to be lighter than glass. Based on research conducted by Abel & Cole, this helps lower transport and greenhouse gas emissions when compared to heavier glass bottles.
Abel & Cole’s research also indicates that using the Club Zero bottles just four times halves the carbon footprint when compared to single-use milk bottles.
This reuse reportedly surpasses the efficiency of glass bottles, which require more than 15 uses to achieve similar emissions savings.
The initiative is expected to prevent approximately 450,000 single-use plastic milk bottles, or 23 tonnes of plastic, from ending up in landfills or being incinerated annually.
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The bottles are tailored to Abel & Cole’s cleaning process, which omits the drying stage, thus reducing contamination risks.
The design of the bottles, which excludes a handle, also facilitates higher cleaning and easy drainage, minimising bacterial ‘trap points’.
They are compatible with Abel & Cole’s existing factory equipment, including its low-density polyethylene caps and single-use milk crates, avoiding additional investment costs.
Berry conducted extensive chemical testing to ensure the PP bottles’ durability and ability to withstand high processing temperatures without the breakage issues associated with glass.
The bottle labels serve as an ‘early warning’ system, indicating when a bottle is due for recycling after multiple washes.
In June 2023, the first 3D-printed samples for migration testing were produced, and the bottles were shipped to customers by October of that year.
Since this launch, the Club Zero one-litre refillable milk bottle has experienced a 20% weekly sales increase. Abel & Cole reports a 64% return rate and aims for at least 75%.
Last month, Berry Global partnered with US-based ice-cream manufacturer Wells Enterprises to introduce a new, sustainable packaging solution for its Blue Bunny Twist pints.
