In a unique reversal of sorts, struggling local dairy farmers across N America are switching back from plastic and paperboard-based containers to the traditional glass bottle in an effort to differentiate themselves from the larger mass-market milk producers. Glass bottle manufacturers, such as O-I, have seen increases in requests for glass bottles for milk to the tune of 10-15% annual increase since 2003, and this is increasing. O-I say that demand for glass milk bottles is expected to remain strong at over 3M units per year. Stanpac, of Smithville, ON, which has been producing a full line of refillable glass milk bottles and closures for 50 years, has also had a recent spike of small dairies who have found that consumers will pay an upcharge for milk in glass. Dairy farmers like it because they recognise their milk product stands out in glass.
