I use plastic bottles I find in the street for milk?

Question

I wash them out and dry them. Then fill with milk to freeze. This means the milk does not go bad as I defrost it when I need it. The bottle can not be cleaned of milk after use so I use a new one each time. What risk to my health can there be as I do wash them first. If health was a problem what about plates ect in a cafe.

Milk is much cheaper when I buy a large bottle but it will go bad in the time I take to use it. My idea works well, by the way this was a serious question

Answer 1

i reuse my plastic bottles in lots of different ways, including storing water i've boiled & let cool 'cos the water around here is quite hard (to drink)

the family (all live in different places) actually just freezes their plastic milk bottles after buying a few 2 save petrol etc. it's a very good recycling idea & effective storage tool.

you (& anyone else reading this) might also want to find out the different things you could do with gon off milk, i make porridge with it, there's an african vegetable that comes out real nice with it, drop scones, you can make a lassi (which is a gorgeous asian drink made with gone off milk) i don't know how to make cheese & professional tasting yoghurt yet but i might come round 2learning it sumtime

Answer 2

You would be better off buying glass bottles to store the milk in. Fill them no more the 3/4 full before you put them in the freezer. The glass bottles can be washed using a bottle brush. This would be much better for your health than using bottles off the street.

Plates and silverware in a cafe are washed in extreemely hot water. Can you say the same for the bottles you collect? Probably not since the inside of the bottles will not be washed effectively in a dish washer and there is no way you can hand wash with water hot enough to kill all possible germs.

Answer 3

Hi there you need to get a bigger fridge, if you use each bottle you find fill it milk after washing then you have real problems regarding the amount of bottles you collect in a one year span, Now would it not be easier just to have one bottle and refill with milk when used, you will save a fortune on soap and on the storage space and also greenhouse gasses used to freeze and cool the milk.
False economy here i think PS if that bottle cant be cleaned how come all the others can, good look with the state of your mental health.

Answer 4

I take it you are milking a cow into these found plastic bottles, otherwise you would have them in a bottle already.
You must live in a disgusting town if your street is littered with bottles.
You could save washing them by urinating in them and rinsing them with that, it is a good disinfectant. you would need to try it to make sure it did not make the milk taste funny.
I don't think you should use cafe plates for freezing milk though.
At worst I think you risk a mild dose of brucilosis, but that is no big deal

Answer 5

Plastic bottles from the street? You are nasty. It's a way to recycle, but it's the wrong way. You don't know what was in the bottles before you picked it up. I don't care if you wash them out, it's still nasty. :(

Instead of using bottles from the street, use the water bottles from your own home when you finish with the water. At least you know the history of the bottles. Where are you getting all this extra milk to freeze?

Answer 6

i wouldnt recommend picking up anything in the street, never mind using it.Although you are washing the bottles you cant guarantee that they're completely clean.Dirt and germs can cling to the bottles even when washed at high temperatures.Not to mention you dont know who used that bottle before you,they could have had hepatitis or HIV.Most cafes use dishwashers on the highest temperature because its compulsary due to health and safety.I recommend you save up your own bottles or buy some tupperware,then you'll know your milk is safe to drink.

Answer 7

Picking up rubbish in the street and using it to store foodstuff is a very bad idea. Washing the bottle will remove surface dirt but not bacteria! You are risking your health.
Cafes use high temperature washing machine which sterilise the plates etc.

Answer 8

Yea right rock on Tommy Pull the other one. Not a good idea, plastic bottles should not be reused for anything especially milk. Milk should only be put into a sterilsed bottle and most certainly not a resued bottle.

Yea your are Joe king

Answer 9

you may think this is a good way to reuse or recycle, but I think the health risk is way higher than the reusing is worth. you don't know where the bottles have been. why don't you keep your milk in the bottle you bought it with?and why do you want to freeze your milk?

Answer 10

It would be simpler and cheaper to buy a box of dry milk and mix it up as needed. It wouldn't taste any worse than thawed milk and would end concerns about hygiene