British consumers got through nine billion pints of milk last year. 90% of that milk was bought in a plastic container. That’s a lot of plastic trash only a percentage of which gets recycled. See some recycling stats here.
Here are some ways to buy plastic free milk
get a milkman – see below
find a milk vending machine. more common n the continent but popping up here.
buy direct from the farmer
Buying milk straight from the farm is one way to make sure crisis-hit dairy producers get a fair deal.
Farmers Weekly has created a map of British farmers selling direct to the public – cutting out the supermarket or middleman.
Some produce pasteurised milk, others sell raw or unpasteurised and a few have a wider dairy range to try.
Milk Delivery
Glass milk bottles can be re-used up to 20 times. By my calculations that means that 1 bottle lasts 20 days that equals 18 bottles a year as oppose to 364 plastic bottles a year.So I got myself a milk man with real glass bottles.
Do you want one? Course you do!
Are they expensive? I pay £1.70 for 2 pints of organic semi skimmed delivered to my door.
This his website can help Find Me A Milkman does exactly what it says on the tin. Type in your postcode to find who is delivering in your area. N.B. Not all deliveries are in glass – you will have to check
Milk and More Dairycrest also deliver nationally. However they were looking to phase out glass bottle and replace them with plastic. You can read more here
Local & Glass
These companies are smaller and usually local businesses. When last checked, the delivered milk in glass bottles – BUT DO DOUBLE CHECK
In The North
Darlington
Darlington Acorn Dairy, do doorstep delivery in glass bottles. They deliver to Darlington,South Durham and the Dales/North Yorkshire.
Huddersfield
Ian on 0795 829 0246 delivers.
Lancaster
This is thanks to the students of Landcaster who gave up plastic for Lent. May be out of date but worth a try.In case anyone is looking for a Lancaster Milkman, here is a useful list compiled by Emily! Milkmen in Lancaster (April 2009)
Raymond McDougall tel: 01524 36158 – covers Fairfield and the Marsh.
Hey & Sons tel: 01524 770343 – covers Primrose, Greaves, Scotforth, Piccadilly and Lancaster University.
Martin Edwards tel: 07739 486357 – covers Hala.
Colin Johnson tel: 01524 36222 – covers Aldcliffe, Ashton Road, Torrington Road.
Leeds
Mc Queens Diaries deliver to Headingly Leeds and perhaps other places too
Manchester
Cream Online is a great doorstep delivery service that does milk in glass bottles. But also juice! And it delivers a veg box which when I asked they told was very much plastic reduced. I didn’t actually use the veg box service so you might want to double check.It also delivers all kinds of other essentials. Not plastic free stuff but not from a chain either. Rather it is a local, family run company.
Midlands
Moofresh – loads of different milk in glass bottles. They deliver round Birmingham and Tamworth – you can find a full list of places here on their website
The Cotteswold Dairy serve:
Tewkesbury
Cheltenham
Shrewsbury
Colony Bay
More info here
Kirby & West https://www.kirbyandwest.co.uk/
Family run dairy business delivering milk and other products to doorsteps around Leicester, Market Harborough and Lutterworth.
South
London
Parker Dairies is a small independant dairy situated in Walthamstow, supplying milk and other goods all over east london and the city. parkerdairies.co.uk
Suffolk
www.suffolkcheese.co.uk £1 for 1L bottle £1 to fill it from a vending machine.
North Oxfordshire
- North Aston
Somerton
Upper Heyford
Lower Heyford
Steeple Aston
Middle Aston
Duns Tew
Deddington
Wolvercote
We deliver the milk late afternoon onto doorsteps in glass litre bottles. It is pasteurised but unhomogenized so has a lovely layer of cream on top. We also attend East Oxford farmers market every Saturday. Follow us on twitter @northastondairy Enquiries – northastondairy@phonecoop.coop
Ongar Dairy
Epping
Loughton
Chigwell
Milk delivery across Epping Loughton and Chigwell. Our product range includes local and organic produce delivered by 7am ongardairy@gmail.com
Essex
Essex Dairys @essexdairys Twitter Says YES they deliver in glass!
Milk, eggs, cheese, yogurts and much more delivered to offices, restaurants and homes across Essex and guaranteed by 7am!! Contact us at essexdairys@gmail.com
U.K. Wide
And this website can help Find Me A Milkman does exactly what it says on the tin. Type in your postcode to find who is delivering in your area.
N.B. Not all deliveries are in glass – you will have to check
Milk and More Dairycrest deliver nationally. 
Dairycrest is a big company that deliver nationwide. However they were looking to phase out glass bottle and replace them with plastic. You can read more here
Milk Dispensers
If you can’t find a local milk man why not petition your supermarket to set up a milk dispenser where you can refill your own bottles.