Which is greener | Glass or plastic?

Soft drinks and water bottles all come with different packaging material, mainly glass or plastic. Some have been artfully coloured to demand attention, while others are shaped to appeal to the eye. But beyond all the shape and colour, the big question still lives: Which material is best? If you're the kind of person who loves living green, then you may earnestly want to know the answer to that. This decision may help your household use better products and contribute to a more sustainable environment.

Manufacturing process

To answer that question, we need to get to the source of it all. What does it take to manufacture these materials?

Plastic bottles are mainly derived from PET, which is polyethylene terephthalate. This material is made from petroleum, which is a non-renewable product that takes millions of years to be formed. Additionally, the extraction of the petroleum also damages the landscape.

Glass is made from limestone, silica and sand. These products are also non-renewable, though they are a lot more available as compared to petroleum. Though the extraction of these products is friendlier to the environment, glass bottles still heighten the costs in the manufacturing. They need temperatures of about 1575^oC.

Recycling

Both of the materials are recyclable. Glass bottles can be recycled infinitely, and the quality of the material is not lost in each recycling process. Using recycled glass in the manufacturing process enables manufactures to reduce the heat from their furnaces and work at lower temperatures. It saves 30% of the energy required.

Plastics however, have a small problem. They can't be indefinitely recycled. Recycling a plastic bottle is like copying a photo copy. With each process, some quality is lost. That's why most plastics are converted to products such as carpet padding and plastic lumber.

Weight.

This is where plastics win the battle. They are a lot lighter, and this reduces the environmental degradation that is an aftermath of transportation. Less fuel and smaller trucks are used, which eventually means less emissions. With glass, you'll have to make more trips because you can load fewer bottles.

Verdict

The choice between glass and plastic is not an easy one. Though environmentalists have a squabble against plastics, their light weight potentially reduces the emissions. Glass earns its points because it's forever recyclable, but its heavy weight nature may skyrocket the eco-costs. However, one thing is clear. Recycling saves up a lot of costs and energy. A reusable bottle wins against disposable containers every time. Oh, and after you're done drinking up, don't go burning the bottle, throw it into a recycle bin.