Re-using bottles?

[Pour Decisions]

With bottles being somewhat short supply and tougher to get quickly, do any of you accept your sold bottles to be returned? I've seen a somewhat local distillery offering a discount off the next bottle purchase for each returned bottle. I do not know their process but I would imagine they are washing and sanitizing and perhaps re-labelling.  I have not located anything in the TTB regulations preventing this, but looking for your thoughts?

[JNorris]

I know of some distilleries that are reusing their sample bottles as more sample bottles only, but none that are accepting bottles back from customers that I know of.

[EchoJoe]

I don't think this would be something addressed at the TTB level. I'm in Ohio, and this would be covered by either the Department of Agriculture (state-level), who acts as our health inspector for our production side. I don't see why you couldn't do this if you have the right setup to sterilize, etc. You just have to decide if the cost of labor (removing labels, etc.) is worth it.

[AK2]

I know this has been discussed on this site before.  If I remember correctly you can do so, but you have to ask permission from some government entity (I can not remember which one, I thought TTB).  I believe you are also required to remove the labels entirely.  In the post I am referencing on here (but I can not find in my 2 min search) removing the labels was almost impossible and I believe the poster stated it was not worth the effort.

I know this topic is on here, I used the post to dissuade the owners from reusing bottles, I just can not find it!

 

Adam