Except we didn't; wine and spirits come almost exclusively in glass bottles, beer is frequently in glass (although cans are also used), almost every store will have some sodas and bottled water in glass, most people at home and restaurants use glasses made from, well, glass, etc.
Glass is a little bit better at keeping oxygen out than plastic, dark glass keeps UV rays at bay, and thick glass bottles can better withstand the pressure of a second fermentation in the bottle, as with champagne and abbey beers. It also looks nice. These are advantages for beer and wine, but mostly irrelevant for soda, water and juices.
It's easy to purchase Mexican sodas around here, and these are never in plastic. Also the more upscale or organic soda companies such as Jones or Reed's, always glass.
I don't use drugs. But my understanding is that plastic bottles aren't exactly uncommon even for spirits. And then with wines you get the boxed stuff. A carboard box, with plastic/foil bag inside.
Glass is awesome. It's reusable many times over and recyclable after that. We used to have systems to allow that reuse (bottle return) before somehow we ended up throwing away a plastic bottle (recycled at best) every time we buy a pint of milk.
And contrary to sibling comment, glass containers don't leach heavy metals (or anything else) into food.
Plastic bottles are more environmentally friendly.
Glass requires massively more energy to manufacture, even using 100% recycled glass. Glass is heavy, so it's more expensive to transport. Collecting and washing bottles for re-use consumes a substantial amount of energy, which greatly increases the number of trips required to break even on the higher manufacturing impacts. The lifespan of a re-usable glass bottle is relatively very short, because glass is fragile. Glass compares poorly to HDPE when we factor in a realistic lifespan for glass and a realistic recycling rate for HDPE.
It's much heavier to cart around, which must be factored in. There's absolutely nothing inherently harmful in single use plastics if they get properly disposed of in landfill.
Driving heavy glass back and forth from the bottling plant burns a lot of diesel unnecessarily.
This is true only for old or expensive crystal glasses.
Most common soda-lime glass has negligible amounts of undesirable impurities, while borosilicate glass, like I use for my food and drinks, is even more pure and it contains almost nothing besides oxides of silicon, boron, sodium and aluminum, and it is inert in contact with food.
In short, only the enamelled decorations may contain heavy metals, which leech in the environment after use. This is a serious problem, but not with glass as such.
arp242|2 years ago
Except we didn't; wine and spirits come almost exclusively in glass bottles, beer is frequently in glass (although cans are also used), almost every store will have some sodas and bottled water in glass, most people at home and restaurants use glasses made from, well, glass, etc.
stdbrouw|2 years ago
NoZebra120vClip|2 years ago
Ekaros|2 years ago
omnicognate|2 years ago
And contrary to sibling comment, glass containers don't leach heavy metals (or anything else) into food.
jdietrich|2 years ago
Glass requires massively more energy to manufacture, even using 100% recycled glass. Glass is heavy, so it's more expensive to transport. Collecting and washing bottles for re-use consumes a substantial amount of energy, which greatly increases the number of trips required to break even on the higher manufacturing impacts. The lifespan of a re-usable glass bottle is relatively very short, because glass is fragile. Glass compares poorly to HDPE when we factor in a realistic lifespan for glass and a realistic recycling rate for HDPE.
sneak|2 years ago
Driving heavy glass back and forth from the bottling plant burns a lot of diesel unnecessarily.
devoutsalsa|2 years ago
glimshe|2 years ago
mhandley|2 years ago
veave|2 years ago
chaxor|2 years ago
adrian_b|2 years ago
Most common soda-lime glass has negligible amounts of undesirable impurities, while borosilicate glass, like I use for my food and drinks, is even more pure and it contains almost nothing besides oxides of silicon, boron, sodium and aluminum, and it is inert in contact with food.
arp242|2 years ago
In short, only the enamelled decorations may contain heavy metals, which leech in the environment after use. This is a serious problem, but not with glass as such.