US regional milk differentiation efforts driving glass demand: Stanpac

DairyReporter.com spoke with Murray Bain, vice president of marketing at Stanpac, at the International Dairy Show in Chicago, where the company was showcasing its liquid dairy and yogurt glass packaging portfolio alongside examples of its work in the ice cream sector.

Despite a general shift towards paperboard cartons and PET bottles in the liquid dairy sector, many local and regional US milk processors are opting for glass, according to Bain.

Glass enables these smaller dairies to differentiate their brands from better known offerings, he said.

“There’s a bi-local movement and a glass bottle goes with smaller, local dairies. It sets their products apart from a plastic jug or a paper carton,”​ said Bain.

Glass milk bottles also induce a “feeling of nostalgia” ​that “seems to really draw people to the market,​” Bain said. Consumers are increasingly drawn for the same reasons to glass yogurt pots, he added.

Bain also touched on Stanpac’s interest in the US ice cream market – touting the benefits of its tamper-evident SecurTec packaging.