Why glass bottles?

Fresh milk is better in glass, and glass is better for the planet. 

At Nuthatch we have simple values that we're serious about, like choosing GLASS over PLASTIC whenever we can. In the end, it comes down to two simple facts: Fresh milk is better in glass, and glass is better for the planet.

Glass is a hot topic right now. Believe me - we’ve spent hours going around in circles with this conversation. There’s a lot to consider - the energy and material used to make it, the cost of transportation, excess packaging used to ensure it doesn’t break when it’s shipped, whether it’s actually getting recycled or reused, etc. But we’re here to tell you why glass is our #1 choice when it comes to fresh milk packaging. 

First comes taste. Wait… what? Does milk really taste better in glass?

Yes, it does. Glass bottles preserve the flavor of our milk. Trust us - we’ve tried it both ways, time and time again. Though plastic bottles are technically still safe to drink from by FDA standards, they are made with chemicals that can leak into beverages and affect their taste. On the contrary, glass is simply 100% made from glass! It is an impermeable, more inert material than plastic, therefore protecting and preserving our products, and that’s why we love it!

But doesn’t glass take a ton of energy and materials to produce? How do I know my glass bottles are being reused and recycled correctly? 

That one’s easy! We totally agree - when you purchase a glass beverage, it’s imperative to know that it can actually end up in the correct recycling bin. If done perfectly, glass can be a perfect closed-loop recycling system, but how can we even trust the recycling system in our city? These are the questions that keep us up at night. But we don’t have to be losing sleep over our purchasing habits! 

That’s why we wash and reuse our glass bottles ourselves. We collect every glass bottle back from you, and we’ll reuse them until… well… they break (a rare occurrence - our glass is especially sturdy). This way we can ensure our packaging never ends up in a landfill. 

We haven’t even told you the best part yet - For every glass bottle you return, you earn a $1 credit toward your next order. Yes, that’s right, if you bring us 14 bottles at once, that means a free quart of the freshest milk in NYC! 

This is our way of showing that what’s good for the planet can also be good for business. Glass is the real deal!

But what about the environmental cost of transit? Glass is so heavy! Doesn’t it take a lot to move? 

When we were looking for a glass supplier, we wanted to make sure we were sourcing from a local glass distributor while at the same time supporting a small business. That’s why we buy all our glass bottles directly from a NYC-based company that’s been around since 1939. They certainly know what they’re doing!

Well there you have it - these are all the reasons why we choose glass bottles for Nuthatch. As an environmentally- and health-conscious brand, we believe in matching the integrity of our packaging with the integrity of our products. And we’re always happy to continue the conversation. Email us at hello@nuthatchlocal.com with any questions about our packaging practices! We love to learn.

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