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Comment by jinushaun | Hacker News Reader

What bothers me is melting a glass bottle of wine to produce a new glass bottle of wine. Just remove the label and refill the same bottle with different wine! Recycling should be the last resort.

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I've seen a few microbreweries re-using bottles lately, I thought it was a fantastic idea. Gives them a bit of character as a bonus too, lots will have scuffs and other markings on them from previous use/transport.

This is how German beer and much else works. Most beer, milk and bottled water is sold in one of about ten shapes of bottle. Four kinds for milk (two sizes two colours), one for water, three for beer, some lesser used that I've forgotten right now, and IIRC the market percentage for these things is 65% at the moment.

I'm sure someone will follow up to explain how horrible the situation is and all about those other 35%, but compared to the US or India it's pretty good.

To be pedantic, there are three shapes of glass bottles for mineral water. A green one for medium sparkling, white for classic sparkling and a fancy one for the hipster water.

This.

In Greece, Italy and Spain (likely elsewhere but these I have seen first hand, and never in the US of A) there are corner markets that sell very good wine from big barrels or stainless steel vats. you can buy or bring your own reusable containers, glass or plastic or whatever.

the problem is too much packaging of any kind. Buy small and local. Much more sustainable.

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