By Michael Boriero
La Pinte, a milk company that produces quality jersey milk in the Eastern Townships, opened its doors five years ago, and in that time, it has recovered and reused more than one million glass bottles, saving them from being dropped into a recycling bin or trash can.
“It’s something nice to know for the customer because they buy one or two bottles a week, but they don’t necessarily understand the bigger picture,” said La Pinte co-owner Remi Ducharme.
When Ducharme and his business partner Pascal Valade were brainstorming ideas, they decided to bring back bottled milk, which has long since disappeared in Quebec. They were inspired by milk companies that run a similar concept in Ontario and New England.
According to Ducharme, a glass bottle can be reused up to 30 times before losing its integrity, as long as it is sufficiently cleaned and disinfected. He told The Record that they are able to wash, sanitize, and re-bottle milk in-house at their facility in Ayer’s Cliff.
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