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After washing, bottles are sorted, and in the case of certain proprietory brands, are sold to
the original owners. Certain washers hold sole agencies for the return of bottles belonging
to certain firms, and this fact being known to the trade, all such bottles are delivered to them by
the rag, bone and bottle merchants or by other washers. Standard wine and spirit bottles and
standard jam and pickle jars are sold to the bottlers, distillers or manufacturers requiring them.
Certain large concerns wash all bottles returned to them, but this does not prevent the
reputable washer from returning them in a clean state. Other concerns contract with washers
to do the cleansing and sterilising for them. On the other hand, one large firm of distillers,
will not accept any returned bottle unless it bears their paper label intact. This naturally
precludes washing.
In the wine and spirit trade, the bottle being of a standard shape, it is imperative that the
bottle be washed clean since it is not known at the time of washing whether the bottle will be
returned to a concern that would or would not wash the bottles. Wine bottles which are
contaminated in any way are absolutely useless, since the wine would sour, with consequent
loss.
All bottles cleansed by reputable firms are certainly spotlessly clean, and if delivered
immediately would defy complaint. If stocks are held over and the bottles are soiled in any
way, it is the custom to re.wash before delivery to the customer. The smaller man, who uses
the hand method, cannot be said to be so scrupulous. His method of washing does not admit
of the same degree of cleanliness as that attained by mechanical means, and it is doubtful whether
bottles that have been in stock for some time are re.washed.
A certain amount of interchange takes place between washers in order to fulfil orders when
short, etc.
If a bottle or jar be chipped or broken or tainted, it is broken and placed in the "cullett"
hole. It is sorted into three colours, viz.: white (transparent), green and black, and sold to a
glass bottle manufacturer, used in the manufacture of emery wheels or emery paper, or shipped
abroad.

Metals.
The metals usually dealt with by the trade are the following : iron, copper, gunmetal,
manganese bronze, brass, German silver, aluminium, duralumin, lead, zinc, pewter and tin
residues.
These are obtained from the following sources : private houses via the marine store,
manufacturers having metallic residues, car breakers, and government disposal auctions.
The majority of metal merchants deal only with non.ferrous metals which they dispose
of as follows :—
Lead.—Sold to mills or cast into pigs on the premises. Used in the manufacture of solder.
Pewter.—Sold in bulk to mills or used in the manufacture of solder.
Zinc.—Melted into spelter, used in the manufacture of brass, used in the manufacture of
white metal for bearings, type, etc., and used for galvanising purposes.
Tin.—Used in the manufacture of solder.
Other metals.—These are generally graded and sold to mills and foundries.

Waste paper.
Inquiries have been made of one of the largest waste paper merchants in London. This
firm is concerned in the business of purchasing waste paper and re.manufacturing it into millboard.
The sources of supply, both inside and out of London are: offices, printing works, caretakers
of large building blocks, wallpaper manufacturers, newspaper offices, government departments,
and municipal authorities.
The bulk of the paper goes to the parent company outside London for manufacture into
millboard.
The paper is sorted into a number of grades, the materials being first agitated to remove
dust, and then run over picking belts to ensure the removal of string, tarred, rubbered, carbon
and dirty paper. With the exception of string, these products are burnt. The sorted paper
is baled in hydraulic presses before being passed on for manufacture.
Clean paper shavings are used for packing purposes and the clean tailings of newspaper
reels are guillotined and sold to retail tradesmen for packing purposes.