Shoppers who want glass without wasting juice
Compare bottle volumes with the amount you expect to use. Also check whether the bottle is returnable: glass packaging alone does not mean there is a collection scheme.
Who is this for?
Households using doorstep collection
A returnable bottle is more practical if the supplier delivers to your address and you can leave washed empties out for collection. Milk & More describes this process for its 568ml apple juice.
Shoppers deciding between still and sparkling juice
A sparkling bottle may suit an occasion, but carbonation makes it a different choice from still apple juice. Check the description before treating the two as substitutes.
What should you check?
Start with the drink style and bottle arrangement, then check the volume and label information for the exact product.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Glass packaging | Confirm that the exact pack is glass. Check its volume rather than assuming every product from a brand uses the same bottle. | Glass is a requirement for me, so I need the packaging confirmed for the bottle I am choosing. |
| Bottle returns | Look for an explicit collection or reuse arrangement and check whether delivery reaches your address. Milk & More asks customers to wash the empty bottle and leave it for the next delivery. | I can return empties through a delivery round; an ordinary recyclable glass bottle would not meet that need. |
| Juice style | Check whether the juice is still or sparkling and whether it is described as from concentrate. Frobishers describes its glass-bottled apple juice as never from concentrate. | For regular still juice, I would compare still bottles rather than substitute a sparkling drink. |
| Volume and storage | Compare the stated bottle sizes and follow the storage instructions on the exact product. The glass-bottle examples include 568ml, 589ml and 750ml packs. | A bottle I can use and store as directed matters more to me than choosing by its appearance alone. |
| Serving information | Read the nutrition panel using its stated serving size. Asda lists 26g sugars per 250ml serving for its 750ml glass-bottle Appletiser. | I want to understand what the label says for the amount I intend to pour, rather than assume the whole bottle is one serving. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming bottles hold the same amount
The glass-bottle examples include 568ml, 589ml and 750ml packs. The size changes how many servings you can pour and how much you need to store after opening.
Check the stated volume and the product’s storage instructions against how you expect to use it.
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Assuming every glass bottle is refillable
A recyclable bottle is not necessarily part of a collection scheme. Milk & More gives specific instructions for returning its bottle.
Look for the supplier’s return instructions. If there is no collection arrangement, follow the on-pack label and local recycling guidance.
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Using sparkling juice as a direct still-juice substitute
Carbonation changes the type of drink you are choosing. Asda describes its 750ml glass-bottle Appletiser as carbonated apple juice from concentrate.
Decide whether you want still or sparkling juice before comparing bottles within that style.
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Counting a large bottle as several daily 5 A Day portions
The NHS says unsweetened 100% fruit juice counts towards 5 A Day as a maximum 150ml portion once a day, regardless of bottle size.
If you are using juice towards 5 A Day, use that 150ml measure rather than the size of the bottle to count the portion.
Brands and bottle formats
These examples refer to specific products and packs, not every drink made by each brand.
Cotteswold Dairy
Its 589ml still apple juice is described by the producer as from concentrate and supplied in returnable, reusable glass.
- A stated returnable-bottle option for still juice.
- Check whether its delivery service covers your address.
Milk & More
Its 568ml still apple juice from concentrate comes in a return-and-reuse glass bottle.
- The supplier instructs customers to wash empties and leave them for collection on the next delivery.
- The collection arrangement depends on using its delivery service.
Frobishers
The producer describes its glass-bottled still apple juice as pressed from Jonagold and Gala apples and never from concentrate.
- A stated not-from-concentrate recipe in glass.
- Check the pack size for the specific bottle you intend to buy.
Appletiser
Asda lists a 750ml glass bottle containing carbonated apple juice from concentrate.
- A specified glass-bottle format when you want sparkling rather than still juice.
- Its sparkling format is not a direct substitute for still apple juice.
Tropicana
Sainsbury’s lists the 1.8L Orchard Apple not-from-concentrate juice in a Pure-Pak carton.
- A larger still-juice pack to consider if glass is a preference rather than a requirement.
- This listed pack is a carton, not a glass bottle.
Joybuy product options
The Joybuy option here is a 750ml sparkling apple drink. If glass packaging is essential, confirm the pack format on the product listing before choosing it.
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De Vina Sparkling Apple 750ml
A 750ml sparkling apple option for when you want a carbonated drink rather than still juice. Check the listing’s packaging details if you specifically need a glass bottle.
Questions about glass-bottle apple juice
Does a glass bottle tell me how the apple juice was made?
No. Packaging does not establish whether juice is from concentrate, not from concentrate, still or sparkling. Cotteswold Dairy and Milk & More describe their glass-bottled products as from concentrate, while Frobishers describes its juice as never from concentrate.
How do returnable apple-juice bottles work?
The process depends on the supplier’s collection scheme. Milk & More says to wash its empty bottle and leave it out for the next delivery; it refills and reuses bottles where possible. Check that the service covers your address before relying on collection.
Can a large bottle count as several daily 5 A Day portions?
No. The NHS says unsweetened 100% fruit juice counts as a maximum 150ml portion towards 5 A Day once a day, regardless of how much juice you drink.
What if a glass juice bottle is not collected for reuse?
Follow its on-pack recycling instructions and check what your local authority accepts. Recycle Now says packaging marked ‘rinse and recycle’ should be rinsed of food residue before recycling.
What should I read on an apple-juice label?
Read the product name, ingredients, serving information and storage instructions for the exact bottle. UK government guidance identifies fruit juices and nectars as foods subject to composition and labelling rules, so the stated description matters more than an assumption based on the packaging.