With so many options when it comes to materials, there is always a debate about which material is better for your product. The same goes for glass and plastic. It is a topic of a really long debate.
That being said, which one is actually better? We will try to give an answer to that question here. With both glass and plastic being used every day in numerous industries, it is hard to say which one is used more. If you are interested in the topic, or perhaps you work in an industry that deals with a substantial amount of glass or plastic, we recommend that you read what we have to say.
Glass Against Plastic
When it comes to waste that it generates, putting up glass against plastic it should be quite clear who the winner is. Glass bottles can be reused in your household much easier compared to plastic bottles. A glass container is also better compared to the plastic one when it comes to health and safety.
Furthermore, only around 9% of plastic gets recycled. It means that the majority remains and pollutes the environment. On the other hand, glass also does not have a high enough recycling percentage. The main reason behind this is that most people do not pay attention when they throw away glass. The colored glass needs to be recycled with a glass of the same color. Additionally, if it so happens that non-recyclable items get into the mix, then the whole bin cannot be recycled properly.
Now that we have covered the waste and recycling parts, let us quickly cover some additional problems. In the case of the bottle filling industries, glass can prove to be trickier to use compared to plastic. Plastic bottles are considerably easier to deal with. The most obvious is that glass is noticeably heavier and because of that the transporting process is more difficult. The additional costs of transport and the fragility of glass leave plastic as the only replacement in some industries.
Impacts on Health
Unlike plastic, glass is non-toxic. With glass, you will not have to worry about harmful chemicals that might end up in your product. It has a high resistance to leeching so even if contained for a long time; your product will be completely safe. If the product is completely organic and natural, glass is a much better option as the plastic will release chemicals that might potentially be hazardous.
That being said, not every type of plastic is as bad. The majority of plastic is perfectly fine to use as it is intended. The problem arises and toxins leach into the product when the plastic is misused. This can also happen during storage. If the container is stored in extreme conditions or even incorrectly, the leaching process can be accelerated.
If you make sure that you know what you are doing and that you are using the plastic correctly, then you have nothing to worry about as it will prove to be a safe alternative to glass.
Glass Bottles vs Plastic Bottles
Clearly, there are noticeable differences between glass bottles and plastic bottles. Here are some of the pros and cons of both glass and plastic bottles.
Pros and Cons of Glass Bottles
The pros that glass bottles bring are certainly really good. First of all, a glass bottle is more aesthetic. It represents a much better experience overall. Additionally, glass bottles are used to promote products that require a more sophisticated form of marketing. There are a lot of products that fit into this such as craft cold brews or even some luxury fruit juices.
Another benefit of glass bottles is that they are fully recyclable. Glass is 100% recyclable which makes it easily reusable no matter what product was in the bottle before. The next great feature is that the glass is naturally chemical resistant and the glass itself is non-toxic making it not hazardous at all.
When it comes to cons, one of the main ones is the production cost. There is no getting around that. Additionally, transportation costs are also much higher due to weight. Lastly, there is the problem with breakage. As we all know glass is quite fragile and because of this, there are additional problems with storing and transporting it.
Pros and Cons of Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles are definitely not all bad. There are pros to using plastic compared to glass. First and foremost, plastic is more durable and so much easier to use. Additionally, the production cost of plastic cannot be compared with glass. Lastly, transportation is much easier with plastic making the costs significantly lower.
In the case of cons, plastic has a few. The main con is that plastic can be toxic. It is less resistant to chemicals in general. Additionally, it is harder to recycle and it does not look as good as glass.
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