Sir, - On behalf of the Irish Women's Environmental Network (IWEN) I would like to express our concern at the abandonment of the glass milk bottle by Premier Dairies.
It is the one of the few environmentally-careful and sustainable forms of packaging available to the public and holds a higher position than recycling on the waste hierarchy. We receive many queries on to how to obtain milk in glass bottles. A lot of people would like the choice of glass over plastic or carton. It appears from this that it is not general knowledge that they can be obtained in doorstep delivery areas and thus usage could be greatly increased if the facility were better advertised. Tetrapaks are a composite material, difficult to recycle and are imported for use and exported for recycling. They have a major transport impact on our environment as well as production and landfill impacts. Glass bottles are produced locally, transported locally, refilled locally and, after about twelve refills, recycled locally.
If Premier Dairies were to retain the glass milk bottle, not only would they be promoting a sustainable form of packaging but also supporting sustainable Irish jobs in the glass bottle and doorstep delivery businesses. - Yours, etc., Mary O'Donnell,
Chairwoman, IWEN, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7.