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Glass Bottle Vs. Plastic Bottle

Glass and plastic are two of the most common recyclable materials. Glass and plastic bottles hold everything from wine and beer to soda, water and oil. However, despite having so many of the same uses, glass and plastic bottles represent different solutions to the same basic storage problem.

  1. Types and Uses

    • Glass and plastic bottles come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. From tiny glass liquor bottles that may hold just a few ounces to large, 2-liter wine jugs, glass is more common for alcoholic beverages and higher-priced products. Plastic represents a more economical solution but shares the versatility of glass. Plastic bottles commonly contain a wider variety of products, such as soda, milk, water and food products, along with cleansers and medicine.

    Recycling

    • Both glass and plastic bottles are recyclable, making them superior to materials such as Styrofoam from an environmental perspective. Glass bottles may be refilled at a bottling center after a sanitizing process. Eventually, glass can be melted down to create new bottles. Plastic bottles are not durable enough to refill but can be melted down to produce other plastic products.

    Deposits

    • Many states offer a deposit on all food items sold in glass or plastic bottles. This deposit, usually priced at 5 or 10 cents per bottle, is added to the price of bottled beverages and refunded to the buyer upon the return of the empty bottles. The purpose of deposits is to encourage recycling and keep glass and plastic, which decompose slowly, out of landfills.

    Drawbacks

    • Plastic and glass each have drawbacks, both for use and recycling. Glass, while durable, is costly to melt down and represents a risk of breaking while in use, creating the potential for injury. Plastic bottles break down over time, which is why they can't be refilled. Plastic bottles are most often melted to produce synthetic lumber or other fibrous plastic composites. Bottles containing certain plastics also can taint the food or drink stored inside as they chemically decompose over time.

    Benefits

    • One of the greatest benefits of plastic bottles is their light weight. Plastic is resistant to breaking and less expensive to ship. Melting plastic also uses less energy than melting glass. Glass is durable and can be recycled into new glass indefinitely, with impurities removed during the process of recasting.

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