Glass has been a popular material for centuries for good reason – it’s reliable, safe, and biodegradable. Compared to plastics and metals, glass has a lower impact on the environment and personal health. Here are 4 reasons why glass is the eco-friendly material of the future.
Sustainability and Sourcing
Glass is made from natural materials such as sand, soda ash, and limestone, which are readily available in the environment, not cooked up in a lab. Additionally, glass manufacturing requires less energy compared to plastic and metal production, resulting in lower carbon emissions and a smaller ecological footprint.
Personal Health
Unlike plastics, glass doesn’t contain harmful chemicals such as BPA or phthalates that can leach into food and drinks. When heated, plastics can release microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles that can harm human health and the environment, while when glass is heated, no harmful chemicals are released whatsoever. Glass is a safe and healthy material that can be used to store food and drinks without posing a risk.
Recyclability
Glass is 100% recyclable. In fact, it can be recycled endlessly without any loss of quality or purity. In contrast, plastics and metals diminish in quality, becoming less durable each time they’re recycled. Even better, glass recycling also reduces waste and conserves natural resources.
Durability
Glass is a durable material that can last for decades without degrading or breaking down. Next time you enter the home of older people, look around for the glassware. You might just spy a decades-old Anchor Hocking baking dish or drinking glass, still good as new! Unless chipped or broken, there’s no reason to replace glass products, reducing the need for wasteful spending and lowering overall resource consumption.
Whether it’s sustainability, sourcing, personal health, recyclability, or durability – glass excels over almost any other product. Ironically as we move toward less wasteful alternatives, for these reasons this material of the distant past is likely to become the material of the future. As a glassware company, Anchor Hocking is committed to producing high-quality, durable glass products that help create this healthier and more sustainable world.
