GENESIS JUICE COOPERATIVE refilling process included investments in washing equipment, extra personnel, electronic eyes for post-wash cycle inspection, and thicker bottles. The company claims that refilling is quite profitable. Lochmead Dairy is a family-owned business in Junction City, Oregon. The dairy owns the farm, the bottles and the stores. The 31 Dari Mart stores in Creswell, Albany and Eugene distribute approximately 300,000 reusable half gallon milk bottles per year. Out of this about 4000 bottles are damaged or lost; the rest keep coming back. Before 1980 the dairy used glass bottles for their milk. However, after 1979 glass bottles became harder to find and more expensive. After experimenting with several different kinds of plastic and paper containers they started using a high density plastic bottle marketed by GE plastics made of Lexan resin. Some of the bottles the dairy uses have withstood close to 100 trips. The practice of refilling has proven especially profitable Opposite: a London milk-bottle pram, circa 1925. Above left: Modern bottlewashing machine for Lochmead Dairy's uniform half-gallon Lexan jugs. Above right: Lesly Cormier (left) and Jen St. Hilaire will lead this short tour of bottlewashing at the Genesis Juice worker's cooperative, beginning with their glass sterilizing machine. Big Bertha (“She makes me deaf, but I love her!’’). RAIN Spring 1993 Volume XIV, Number 3 Page 25
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