Why Do We Use Plastic Packaging Instead of Glass?
TL;DR Surprisingly, at this point in time in the USA, plastic is actually the better choice for the planet.
We've all been told that glass packaging is better than plastic - glass is recyclable and therefore better for the planet. But when I was researching packaging, I discovered something surprising - in the USA, the majority of glass isn't recycled. In fact, in a lot of communities in the USA, glass recycling isn't even available, and in a lot of cases, the glass you put in the recycling bin still ends up in a landfill. I did some digging to find out why, and this is what I found out:
"Contamination occurs when the glass or glass-like materials are mixed in with the previously mentioned recyclables. Items like mirrors, vases, dishes, pyrex, or other similar items can cause enough contamination that they can interrupt production, damage machinery, and also cause defective, weak containers. These items are typically not made with pure glass compounds, thus, cannot be recycled in the same way, if at all."
https://theecoporium.com/blog/why-isnt-glass-being-recycled
2. And something that I can only call "poor governmental planning":
"Perhaps the most significant of reasons behind these poor recycling rates is a governmental approach that prioritizes single-stream recycling. Not only does single-stream require consumers to mix all types of materials together in one box i.e. paper, card, glass, and aluminum, but it also encourages aspirational recycling, where consumers add items to bins that will only ever be destined for landfill.
With single-stream recycling, all items must be separated at a sorting facility and subsequently sent to the correct recycling facility capable of processing those specific materials. The problem here is twofold, firstly, glass can easily break and become both contaminating to other materials and contaminated by other materials. This makes it more difficult to separate and subsequently recycle."
https://www.rts.com/blog/the-future-of-glass-recycling/
Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash
But Wait, There's More!
In addition to all that, glass is heavy and therefore requires more fuel to ship. A case of glass bottles weighs much more than a case of plastic bottles. More weight = more fuel to transport it, both from the container manufacturer to me, and from me to you. So in that respect, glass isn't very carbon-friendly. And also because they're heavier, glass containers cost more than plastic, and shipping them costs more, which means I'd have to increase the price of my products.
Therefore, as much as I'd love to be able to use glass packaging, everything I've read points to plastic actually being the better option, at least in the USA. All of our plastic bottles and jars are PET plastic, and are very easy to recyle. Just wash them with soap and water, and pop them in your recycling bin!
However, if this situation improves at any time in the future, I'll happily switch to glass!