A family-run dairy business has shared their reasons for upkeeping traditional glass milk bottles in a bid to reduce single-use plastic packaging.

Ongar Dairy Limited, based in Wintry Park Farm, Epping, deliver to customers, offices and hospitals across Essex and London.

The team sell 20,000 glass bottles a week which is the equivalent of around one million plastic bottles distributed in a year.

Chris Rudge, son one of Dairy Ongar Limited’s founder’s, said the company’s success has built through word of mouth and being a “family business at heart”.

“We still keep the values Gary and Dad had when they started in the 90’s sourcing our products from as close to home as possible and always considering the sustainability of our operations." said Rudge.

"We strongly believe our customer base are price aware, rather than price driven and therefore aim to offer value for money with a sustainable and environmentally friendly supply chain.

“I came into the business a few years back and decided to expand around three years ago work sustainability in terms for the packaging for our products.”

Although the company distributes their products in Epping, Ongar Dairy Limited’s name was inspired after their first doorstop delivery was based in Ongar.

Mr Rudge said he has noticed within the past year an increasing trend of rivalling companies adapting to glass bottles to become more environmentally friendly.

“We were ahead of the game but now the industry is starting to catch up with us because there is such a demand from customers,” he explained. “Although we are making a small difference, it can be an enormous difference.”

The Epping businesses man said in comparison to single use plastic, glass bottles can be reused over 50 times making it more cost effective.

Mr Rudge also revealed the dairy company’s next step to is making their transport vehicles electric within the next two years.

“As long as its practical there is no excuse, I try to watch my plastic use and reduce my carbon footprint throughout my life,” he added. “That’s really topical at the moment and why people are so interested.”

“We have a duty and from the business perspective, we will do the right thing as well as our impact on the environment should be at the forefront of our mind. Unfortunately, in many businesses, profit is the only driver.”

The long-term dairy worker believes a deposit scheme for global companies such as Coca Cola is the best option to cut back on plastic for good.

“If Coca Cola was to lead in changing their single-use plastic rather than wait to do it, it would make a massive change.” he argues.

“We’ve never really changed we have always offered glass our packing throughout our history, but supermarkets came and told milkmen how to do their job, although we use more plastic as a nation it has made milk a commodity.”

Ongar Dairy products are available to order and purchase now, for information, visit https://www.ongardairy.com.

To quickly calculate the difference you could make by switching to glass bottled milk with their interactive game, visit: https:// ongardairy.com/recycling-game/