Milk

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

During Lockdown we had changed to Milk delivery with old fashioned glass bottles. It worked well initially, practically I couldn't get hold of whole milk otherwise (need it for medical purposes) and I thought it was the better choice (despite being 4 times the cost).

However now I wonder. Milk used to come with the food shopping, now someone has to deliver it as a seperate trip 3 times a week, which is ok maybe if hes got others in the area. But not otherwise. Also every glass jar has to go back for sterilizing and I run it through the dishwasher at home (esp the whole milk ones), I'm starting to wonder if the environmental costs of reusable really do balance out use of (significantly less) plastic.

Plus the fact with the super fresh milk and hot weather the whole milk especially is going off so quickly im chucking out sizeable amounts. It's not at all good on the bank balance. I also don't think it would last a day trip out in a flask in summer like both the supermarket fresh and UHT did.

Can anyone make me feel better about going back to either Terra or plastic milk bottles? Or persuade me to persevere.

Good point. I would say that it's probably a better idea if EVERYONE did this. That way there would be no plastic at all. I think you're doing the right thing. Prioritise what is important to you personally. Is it the plastic waste that is destroying our oceans and killing animals in painful, slow deaths? Or the pollution slowly gasing and engulfing and suffocating our planet? For me personally it's the plastic. What is more important for you?

I really wanted to switch to milk deliveries but could not justify the cost. It is so expensive!

Instead, I buy organic milk from the supermarket for the kids, and oat milk for myself. I think cutting down on dairy has a significant impact on climate change. Plus the containers are not plastic and can be flattened to take up hardly any space in the recycling bin.

Valid points!
In my area the milkman delivers with an electric van, which offsets a bit of the carbon footprint I guess.
I used to have the same issue with the milk going off in summer at first, but then I started using an insulated bag and that worked! I just put it out the night before and the milkman puts the bottles in there. They are still cool-ish when I collect them in the morning.

I hadn't thought to check the float! Yes it appears ours is electric too.

We actually have the proprietary milk cooler. (Evidently i was keen at the start). The skimmed milk is not so bad. It's the whole milk thats diabolical for going off.

Oh i am not finding this an easy decision

The great think about the milk in bottles is that it's not homogenised so when it goes sour it is still usable to make soda bread.
That's what my granny did as she lived without a fridge for many years.
..all the fancy soda bread recipes say to use buttermilk but sour whole milk from glass bottles does fine.