Where Are All the Mason Jars?
Supply chain shortages during the pandemic have affected staples like toilet paper, Clorox wipes, meat - and now Mason jars.
What's fueling the rush on Mason jars? More people are cooking at home and trying new recipes. Pandemic-fueled food supply chain disruptions have sparked concerns about the stability and sustainability of industrialized global food production. Canning certainly isn't a new thing, but people who have never canned before are trying it for the first time, and veteran canners are canning more. Some folks simply have more time on their hands due to shutdowns and working from home. These factors have also lead to more 'pandemic' gardens, which further drives demands for canning supplies. Blogging, Pinterest, and other social media outlets have popularized using Mason jars for more than just canning - Mason jars can be toothbrush holders, oil lamps, candleholders, flower vases, and giftable 'recipes in a jar'
Trigger sprayers and lotion pumps are also hot commodities that are getting increasingly difficult to find. Some of our suppliers are out of stock as far out as May of 2021, so we've pivoted to using pumps and sprayers fitted for Mason jars, instead of the amber glass bottles we usually use. But with Mason jars being out of stock now, that pivot isn't so viable anymore!
I have learned so much about packaging lingo since starting this company - can't say I ever knew what a Boston round or cosmo bottle was before then, or that bottle neck sizes are measured sort of like blood pressure, with a 'top' and 'bottom' number, such as 28/400. The first number refers to the diameter of the bottle opening in millimeters, and the second number represents the threads on the bottle neck, referring to the height of the cap and the style of threads on the cap and the container. GPI (Glass Packaging Institute) standardized neck finishes many years ago for both glass and plastic containers. To make a long story short, caps, pumps, and sprayers must be the right size for the right bottle.
I've been encouraging our customers to hang on to their spray bottles and pump bottles, and bring them in for refilling whenever possible. We can also refill any bottles you have on hand as we also sell our products by the ounce; it doesn't have to be our original bottles. We can refill your Windex bottles with glass cleaner, your Herbal Essence shampoo bottles with our shampoo, and your drugstore lotion pump bottles with our lotion.
Trigger sprayers and pumps usually can't go in recycle bins anyway, because they have both metal and plastic components and are thus difficult to recycle. There are a few that are 100% plastic, but most of them aren't, and most have a metal spring. Reusing them is a better option. If you have some on hand, we'd love to have them.
We have new Mason jar accessories in stock, and most of them come with the jar. Here's a few of them. You can shop the collection at https://www.pinkelephantproducts.com/home-care-cleaning-products