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Comment by dEnigma | Hacker News Reader

That's horrible, if true. Do you have a source for that? A quick Google search didn't get me anywhere. At least here in Austria the glass bottles are actually cleaned and re-used.

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There isn't really any systematic reuse of glass bottles in the U.S. The only such thing I've encountered is some very niche arrangements between boutique dairy companies and boutique grocery stores, where you can return your $10 quart bottle of milk for the bottle to be reused.

The co-op I frequent in Vermont provides milk in glass bottles from various dairies. The bottles have significant deposits, but the most is $2. You return the bottle. You get the deposit back. They clean and reuse the same bottle, as is shown by the accumulating scratches on the outsides of the bottles. The co-op is the main grocery store in town, so not "boutique" except insomuch as Vermont itself is boutique. But then "boutique" just means not typical. Your implication is that it means supported by bougie people living in a fantasy land. Most of US material culture is crap. This is not by necessity.

> boutique grocery stores, where you can return your $10 quart bottle of milk for the bottle to be reused.

You’re misrepresenting the price substantially – that’s 5 times what Whole Foods charges and while they’re upscale they’re more mainstream than boutique these days.

You're telling me I can buy a quart of milk in a reusable glass bottle for $2 at Whole Foods?

Yes: a half gallon is two quarts and that’s $4.

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/homestead-creamery-...

Yeah the machines around here you can hear them being crushed. Most are Tomra units. Oregon does recycle full bottles but I think that's only if you use the green bags and have them sort.

https://www.bottledropcenters.com/buy-refillable-containers/

Found a video of the same machine, you can hear the bottle breaking https://youtu.be/1wwmqmxdlSw?t=27

Quick edit: Looks like Tomra does make machines that keep the bottles intact.

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