Glass vs. Plastic

Modern packaging must be made of materials that are easily recyclable, safe and consumer-friendly - in other words, easy to open and handle. It should also support the shelf life of the product and be visually appealing at the same time. In a crowded market, it is often the packaging that makes a product stand out from the competition - be it through form, function or design. In this blog post, we look at the advantages and disadvantages of glass and plastic and compare the two materials.

When it comes to sustainable options, many consumers opt for products in glass bottles or shakers. Sauces, dips, and even honey are often packaged in high-quality glass jars. Glass packaging has existed for over 300 years, the material being perceived as high quality and visually appealing thanks to its transparency. It’s recyclable and offers excellent product protection thanks to its barrier properties. This gives food a long shelf life. Glass can be refilled and therefore reused, and these returnable products in particular also score highly in terms of sustainability. However, the transportation routes are crucial in this respect: Compared to reusable plastic bottles, glass bottles are significantly heavier and, therefore, cause higher CO2 emissions during transportation. As a rule: the more regional, the better the environmental footprint! In principle, disposable glass can be melted down as often as required. However, the energy required to do so is extremely high, and a lot of energy is lost through one-time use. And as aesthetically pleasing as glass may be as a material, the risk of breakage should not be underestimated, as this can result in injuries or the loss of the food product. 

Contrary to its sometimes poor image, plastic is a convincing material of choice for many types of packaging: Plastic packaging is unbreakable, it can be produced cost-effectively in many variants and, above all, it’s particularly lightweight, which is particularly advantageous with regard to CO2 emissions for longer transport routes. Plastic packaging stands out for its ease of use for consumers. It also offers excellent product protection, especially when combined with barrier technologies. 

The advantage of plastic packaging in filling stations is that it causes less noise pollution and can reduce the risk of injury from breakage, which significantly increases workplace safety. The production of plastic is also associated with energy consumption, and the raw materials needed to do so were once only available in limited quantities as they are petroleum-based. Today, there are solutions for using both recycled and organic-based materials. With regard to recycling, although appropriate collection systems have been installed in the industrialized nations, there is still a great need for action in many other countries where plastic packaging continues to cause environmental problems. But in Europe, too, the reuse of plastic depends on several factors: Is there a corresponding collection stream? Are these mono-material solutions? What decoration was used for the packaging? Can the recycled material come into contact with food again? If these questions are taken into account when designing the packaging, the carbon footprint of plastic can be kept to a minimum in comparison to glass, making plastic packaging a sustainable packaging alternative.  

When choosing the right packaging material, there are two key points to consider in terms of sustainability: The weight of the packaging, which is responsible for high CO2 emissions, especially during transportation, and the overall carbon impact caused by the material, production and transportation of the packaging.  
In this graphic we have compared glass and PET.