Does anyone on the list know of PUBLISHED sources, or unpublished papers,
on the history and nature of the formal reuse of glass bottles? I am
referring to the practice in the 20th century (19th century?) when bottles
were systematically returned to the store or other original source. The two
major categories I am familiar with are:

(1) Soda bottles which were purchased (with part of the price considered
a deposit) and then returned for money. This was a way many children
made pocket money, especially with Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola bottles.

(2) Milk bottles which were left out to be picked up by the milkman
(sorry, I do not remember any milkwomen!) to be taken back to the local
dairy to be refilled.

Some questions:

        (1) Are there other obvious categories beyond the two I listed above?

        (2) When did such practices start?

        (3) When did they end (if they have ended)?

        (4) When did the phrase - "No Deposit No Return" - come into
use?

        Such practices have a major impact on the archaeological record
of the 20th (19th?) century. For example, in recent excavations of 20th
century deposits we found only one Coca Cola bottle and it was there
because it had been broken.

        I am after published (or at least formally written up) sources,
either primary sources or work by researchers such as archaeologists,
material culture experts or cultural historians. I would also be
interested in personal knowledge you may have. You could either send
such personal accounts to me off line or, if you want, share them with
the list. This question would, I think, be of interert to many historical
archaeologists.

                                        Robert L. Schuyler



Robert L. Schuyler
University of Pennsylvania Museum
33rd & Spruce Streets
Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324

Tel: (215) 898-6965
Fax: (215) 898-0657
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