Drink Bottles - Glass vs Plastic Containers

Bottles for all occasions

Drink bottles nowadays are usually made of plastic it is a light, durable and generally, unbreakable material which makes it ideal for transporting all types of liquid. Plastic bottles are often shipped on pallets in pre-wrapped packs that can be easily stacked. Many companies that once used glass now use plastic, they are cheap to produce and can be recycled at least once.

Glass containers for liquid drinks

Glass is the environmental alternative, it can be reused indefinitely and it is cheaper to recycle old bottles than to produce new ones. Even when broken the pieces of glass bottles can still be recycled. It is heavier than plastic and more easily broken during hauling but it is a very clean and safe alternative to plastic.

Sizes

What are different sizes of drink bottles?

Common plastic bottles for carbonated drinks come in various sizes 500 millilitre or pint sized, 1 litre or 2 pint size, 1.5 litre 3 pint, 2 litre ½ gallon and gallon. They are usually either made from clear plastic or transparent colors so that the liquid in the bottle can be seen from the outside. All companies promote their drinks by using a name, logo and specific colors on their packaging some also use a particular shape of bottle that the customer will recognise on sight plastic bottles can be made in almost any shape and design.

Types of bottle tops

Sport bottles often have tops which enable them to be used without taking off the bottle tops.

There are many other sizes for bottles depending on what they contain. Juice and water bottles for kids come in small sizes for the ease of taking them in school lunch boxes. They are easy for small hands to manage and come in a variety of bright colors which make them attractive to kids.

Milk bottle

Milk comes in plastic bottles that are blown or extruded into a form that takes its strength from its shape. Milk bottles or containers are usually opaque as they tend to be stronger than clear bottles and possibly help to keep the milk fresh for longer.

Single use only?

Most plastic bottles are sold with the idea of a single use but it is possible to reuse these bottles provided they are thoroughly checked, washed, rinsed and dried before using again. The inspection part of reusing is to ensure that the bottle is free from any damage, no cracks or weak points and that the bottle top is still working correctly.

The downside of plastic is that sometimes it leaches certain chemicals like ‘Bisphenol A’ into your drink and what is not commonly known by the general population is whether this is harmful to you.

Glass and ceramics

Older type bottles

Prior to plastic being commonplace, bottles were made from glass and ceramics, a stoneware crock was generally used for carrying water and other liquids like ale and cider. Glass bottles were all hand blown and were expensive to produce as they were labour intensive. Glass bottles are still being made daily and there are hundreds of bottle companies worldwide that are still producing. In America there are an average of two such companies per county, the companies and processes are highly mechanised and the days of hand blowing bottles is long gone. Many people are returning to using glass bottles in an effort to support the environment and also in reaction to the scare of chemicals leaching into the contents of plastic bottles. Glass baby bottles have made a huge comeback and even the antique bottles of our grandmothers are being reused in preference to plastic

Non plastic or glass bottles.

Metal bottles

Metal bottles are also coming into fashion nowadays as lightweight stainless steel versions are now used for travel bottles when camping or hiking and are easily packed into rucksacks. They are unbreakable, watertight and environmentally friendly. They can be used for a lifetime and can go into a steriliser or dishwasher if necessary to protect against germs. Glass water bottles are also available with an outer covering of metal to protect them against breakage. Metal and glass drink bottles are freely available and ideally should be utilised when possible in preference to plastic.