Wiltshire dairy launches UK's first plastic refillable milk bottle

Abel & Cole took three years to develop the formula for the bottles

A dairy company has created what it claims is the UK's first washable and refillable plastic milk bottle.

Abel & Cole, which has a dairy at Wroughton, Wiltshire, says the bottle can be refilled multiple times and won't cost the consumer any more.

"They weigh 40g on average, compared to 200g for glass so there's less fuel used to transport them," said Ed Gosling, a Wroughton dairy farmer.

"We've tested it for about 16 uses with washing," he said.

Abel & Cole says 300,000 tonnes of carbon could be saved each year if the dairy industry switched to reusable plastic.

Polypropylene is a hard-wearing plastic used in baby bottles

"The customers will be positive about this because there's no loss in convenience," Mr Gosling said.

"This bottle has been three years in the making, we've changed so much, and now it's signed off with the Food Standards Agency."

Hugo Lynch, Sustainability Lead at Abel & Cole said: "Plastic is often seen as the enemy.

"But we asked if it was better to use glass, which is heavier and more energy-intensive to make, or to go against the grain.

"This is a more sustainable way to deliver and refill milk," he said.

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