No more milk in bottles from next week

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 266, 6 December 1988, Page 1

No more milk in bottles from next week

From December 14 Waimarino milk consumers will have no choice but to receive their milk in cartons or plastic containers. Milk vendor John Trigell said yesterday he was notified on the weekend that Capital Dairy Products Limited no longer considered delivery of bottled milk to areas north of Hunterville an economically viable option. The company has made this decision after closing their glass bottling line at Palmerston. Glass milk bottles for south of Hunterville will now come from Otaki. An overall decline in the demand for

milk in glass bottles is cited as the reason behind the decision to close the line as well as the need for rationalisation of the company's bottling operations at their four processing sites. Reductions in glass bottle production is also given as a contributing factor. A letter from the company included the statement "on a user pays basis, bottles would need a substantial price increase to cover this (extra transport from Otaki) cost." Mr Trigell told the Bulletin the notification at such a late date is "a kick in the guts". He said while about 50 per cent of his customers now buy milk in plastic or cartons there were many who

would be opposed to the change. More notice should have been given, he said, so he could at least advise his customers of the alternatives. He asks his customers to "come out to the gate" and discuss their future milk delivery requirement and pay ment alternatives. Six day delivery Milk will also only be delivered six days a week from December 17, with Saturday delivery being cut. Mr Trigell said this measure, which will be in force for the summer months, was being taken to keep costs down and thus the price of milk to the consumer down.