It's still possible to buy half-gallon glass canning jars. I've bought them online, and I think that I saw some at AC Moore in the craft department. I miss my gallon glass pickle jars. Pegi> Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:43:59 -0500> To: [email protected]> From: [email protected]> Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] Thread change: aseptic packaging> > I have pondering this issue for years. For most of the last 30 years, we > have bought dry milk and mixed it as needed, using old glass half-gallon > juice bottles (remember when juices came in glass bottles?). I'm down to > only 3 left, and they seem to be irreplaceable. The other problem is the > caps, which wear out eventually and can't be replaced either. So we have > supplemented the supply with plastic bottles that resemble the glass ones, > but are harder to get clean. Dry milk tastes better if mixed a day or more > ahead and refrigerated. When traveling, something we do once or twice a > year, we mix it up just before use, mixing only what we will immediately > consume. It works, but isn't as good.> > Lately we have been purchasing fluid milk when we are in town. In t he last > year dry milk prices rose to match, and now exceed, fluid milk prices. I > don't like generating the plastic bottles, even if they are recyclable. > Doesn't Byrne Dairy still use reusable glass bottles?> > Our refrigerator is used primarily for fresh food storage. It supplements > the cold storage room in the winter and substitutes for it once the weather > is too warm for cold storage (generally April through October). While we > process most of our fresh vegetables for year-round consumption, the > refrigerator gives us a place to accumulate enough to make the processing > efficient. Asparagus, beans, summer squash, and cucumbers are all kept in > the fridge to retain quality and retard spoilage. Ditto for fruit for fresh > consumption. You can't store raspberries at room temperature for more than > a few hours. While all these products could be processed in small batches > as they are picked, that isn't very efficient in time or energy, and it > doesn't work for the products that are only consumed fresh (like cucumbers > and summer squash). So, while we could probably make do if necessary, for > reasons of convenience and nutritional superiority, we refrigerate.> > Joel> > At 05:30 PM 12/25/08 -0500, you wrote:> >At 01:37 PM 12/25/2008, you wrote, in part:> > >Take milk for example. Much of the rest of the world uses aseptic> > >packaging technology for packaging milk. As a result milk can sit> > >on the shelf in a tropical environment for up to six months without> > >refridgeration. It is also available in small enough packaging that> > >it can be consumed in a day or less, thus elimination the need for> > >home refridgeration after the package is opened.> >> >Dear George and Friends--Yes, this is a good thing in a way in terms> >of many populations receiving a higher nutrient level, and especially> >a blessing in many underdeveloped countries. However, there is a> >serious problem with Tetra, the patent holder and manufacturer of the> >world's aseptic packaging, and recycling in some areas. Aseptic> >packages can be completely recycled into fiber (paper), aluminum> >(foil) and plastic (the coatings, caps), less the adhesives, but in> >many (most?) areas of the world these packages go to the landfill> >instead. This represents a tremendous quantity of resources and> >embodied energy going down the tubes. In some states, like Brazil,> >the governments threatened to ban Tetra products unless Tetra agreed> >to recycle their products. So they did. Maybe they are doing a lot> >more now globally, but I suspect that most still go to the landfill> >or, even worse, the incinerator. I haven't seen any lifecycle cost> >analysises, but I suspect that it is less expensive, less energy> >intensive and less GHG producing to supply refrigeration, with> >adequate product life as Joel pointed out, than is to supply the> >needed quantity of Teta packs on a global basis. Jus' my $.02. Tom> >> >P.S.: If almond milk, rice milk, dairy products, etc., came in> >reusable glass containers we would be waaayyy ahead in terms of> >energy, GHG emissions and resources, even with the cost of> >transporting and cleaning the glass containers. It's the "throw> >away" mentality that promotes wastage and abuse of resources, energy> >and the rapidly deteriorating environment.> >> >******************************************> >Tom Shelley> >118 E. Court St.> >Ithaca, NY 14850> >607 342-0864> >[email protected]> >http://www.myspace.com/99319958 (Just updated 12-22-08.)> >http://www.facebook.com/129295929#/home.php (Last updated 12-16-08.)> >> >Compost Educator and Sustainability Scion> >> >Buy products in glass, not plastic! Recycle all of your glass bottles.> >> >The percentage of PET recycled is declining.> >> >PET Recycling Rages Graph> >> >Source: National Association for PET Container Resources, American> >Plastics Council> >Note: 39% of plastic recycled in 2003 was PET.> >_________________________________ ______________> >For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, > >please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/> >> >RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for:> >[email protected]> >http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins> >Questions about the list? ask [email protected]> >free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org> _______________________________________________> For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for:> [email protected]> http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins> Questions about the list? ask [email protected]> free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _________________________________________________________________ Send e-mail anywhere. 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