Why Glass Packaging is A New Trend?

People have been packaging products in glass containers for hundreds of years. From whiskey bottles to baby food, the types of products packaged in glass are virtually endless. Having been part of the human experience for so long, glass often produces an interesting effect on the consumer. Seen as having an air of luxury and/or vintage aesthetic, glass is often chosen for its smooth texture, non-porous attributes, hand feel, weight, and visual appeal.

For example, there is a new trend (most popular among millennials) of spending what some might consider an excessive amount of money on fancy water bottles. When it comes to projecting an air of luxury or social status, this particular trend hits serious sales potential when companies are selling $28 bottled water (in glass).

Glass containers are primarily used for the packaging of food, especially liquids such as soda, water, beer, and tea. It has also been widely adopted for the packaging of legal cannabis items. And while glass bottles used for these purposes cost more than their plastic counterparts, many companies and consumers opt for the glass container.

This is in part due to the fact that glass (unlike plastic) retains the true flavor of the contents. Plastic containers can alter the taste of food or liquids due to shelf life dynamics or exposure to extreme temperatures. And as plastic is porous, it does not retain carbonation, flavor or scent as well as glass.

Furthermore, when it comes to carbonated beverages, glass sustains carbonation for much longer periods of time than plastic. In this case, many consumers choose glass bottles over plastic when storing liquids for long periods of time, for example; vanilla extract.

Now, while the storage dynamics, aesthetic and the luxury of glass are popular reasons for their use in countless packaging applications, many consumers buy glass containers for a completely different reason...

As mentioned earlier, consumers will be exponentially more focused on recycling, sustainability, earth-friendliness and green product options as we move through and beyond 2022.

In this respect, glass is a bit of a conundrum...

Many companies are currently switching to glass as more and more consumers are becoming consciously aware of the extremely detrimental effect of plastic on our environment (such as the great pacific garbage patch).

In response to this growing mass awareness of plastic related pollution, many people are demanding that their favorite brands switch from plastic containers to glass. This produces a sense of being part of an earth-friendly revolution in consumerism.

Glass is 100% recyclable and the new products made from it's recycled material do not lose integrity via the recycling process (as plastic does) however, a lot of glass still ends up in landfills. The rise of glass in a world focused on sustainability is partially the result of misinformation and green-washing.

The uncomfortable truth about glass is that based on multiple scientific studies, plastic is significantly less harmful to our environment. While that may be a hard pill to swallow, multiple scientific studies have proven it to be true.

Glass is more detrimental to our environment than plastic because of the processes involved in manufacturing the material and the subsequent weight of glass containers in shipping. These dynamics of glass production and delivery result in the fact that glass has a much higher carbon footprint than plastic.

Pros of glass packaging:

ㆍ Aesthetic And Physical Appeal

ㆍAir Of Luxury

ㆍ Non-Porous

ㆍInfinitely Recyclable

ㆍ Does Not Affect The Flavor Of Food Or Beverage Products

ㆍLonger Shelf Life

Cons of glass packaging:

ㆍSignificantly Costlier Than Plastic

ㆍExpensive To Make

ㆍExpensive To Ship

ㆍUses Excessive Energy To Produce

ㆍHigh Carbon Footprint

ㆍ Easy To Break

ㆍCan Not Be Recycled If Contaminated With Adhesives Or Other Materials

Shandong Jammine Package Co., Ltd. is a professional glass bottle manufacturer integrating design(bottle, cap, logo), production, sales and service. If you are interested in our products, please contact us now!