As some of you know, due to issues with our supply chain, our current bottle shipment is now several weeks behind schedule. It wasn't until we experienced the effects of this recent delay that we realized how many juice bottles never come back to us.
The Pittsburgh Juice Company's bottle return program is unique to juice companies in Pittsburgh and is reminiscent of bygone milk bottle exchanges. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette found our program interesting enough to write a nice feature about us earlier this year.
At PJC we love our glass bottle program, for the same reason we love our own juices and can drink them over and over again, day in and day out. We don't cut any corners. We bottle our juices in glass because it is so clearly the best thing to do. Here's why.
- Compared to plastic, glass requires less energy to manufacture and to recycle since it is made from natural substances, such as sand, soda ash and limestone. Glass can be recycled and/or reused endlessly, while plastic loses its integrity after being recycled a few times.
- While glass is clean, natural and non-porous, plastic contains toxins and chemicals that can seep back out of the container after continual use or exposure to extreme temperatures. All things considered, at PJC we prefer to pour our pure, organic juice into a vessel that is just as pure and clean as it is.
- While purchasing new bottles is always an option (and usually not such an issue as it has been this month), we so much prefer to let our customers enjoy the benefits of their loyalty by indulging in a free juice now and then, as a part of our rewards system.
- It shocked us when we found out that Pittsburgh no longer has any glass recyclers. This means, the majority of our customers are left without a glass recycling option, which forces them to throw away glass. Our PJC bottle return program is a way for them to still recycle glass (through reuse), while also enjoying the above mentioned benefits of glass over plastic!
If you didn't know about our bottle return program until now, we're sorry! That's our fault. Here's everything you need to know.
- Each 16oz PJC branded bottle is worth 5 rewards points.
- Before you return it, please rinse out the inside of the bottle so it doesn't start growing anything before it makes it home to us. We so appreciate this!
- No need to bring the cap back, but if you do that's ok too. The neck of the bottles tend to be the most fragile, so the cap can actually help protect the bottle if you're on the go.
- Smaller PJC bottles are worth 1 point each in our rewards program.
- Juice purchases will get you 2 rewards points each, and rewards points are also gained from anything else you purchase in the store.
- Once you get to 100 points you'll receive $10 off your next purchase, so a free juice!
At PJC we aim for quality, consistency and sustainability over all things. Like the ingredients that go into our juices, our branded glass bottles aren't cheap. Everything we do at PJC is to preserve and enhance the quality of the product, not as a cost saving technique. Our juices are bottled in glass for our customers’ pure enjoyment and for the environmental benefits. The ability for our customers to gain rewards is just one more perk in our program.