BLOG IN A BOTTLE

Glass is the greenest packaging material according to a report by Chloé Hecketsweiler which was published in the French magazine L’Expansion late in 2011. Using five criteria (raw material cost, carbon footprint, recycling rates, impact on health and cost to consumers) Hecketsweiler sought to quantify which packaging material was the greenest using data relating the French market. Over all five criteria, glass packaging scores 17/25, well ahead of plastics at 13/25.

Glass Ahead in Recycling

On average, every French person adds 86 kilograms of household packaging to the waste stream each year. When comparing plastic and glass, Hecketsweiler notes that 75% of glass packaging containers are recycled in France, but that just 20% of plastic containers find their way to recycling centres. Hecketsweiler believes consumers find it easy to recycle glass as it simply needs to be sorted into clear and coloured glass. By comparison, there are many different types of plastic and it is impossible to treat each type in the same way.

Glass Reduces Emissions

Hecketsweiler notes that less energy is used and less CO₂ is emitted if recycled glass is used to create new glass. However, she bases her emissions calculation on the use of 100% virgin materials and does not take into account the major progress manufacturers have already made to reduce the weight of bottles.

A European Life Cycle Assessment for glass bottle production shows that, on average, every tonne of recycled glass saves 670 kg of CO₂. Increasing the amount of recycled glass in the furnace by 10% decreases energy use by 3%. When glass is recycled, there is no need to produce, process and transport the virgin raw materials or to transport them, so less fuel is used. Glass bottles can now be produced with up to 100% recycled content – infinitely. This is certainly not the case for plastics.

Glass is Healthy

An area where glass shines is in terms of its health properties. Bisphenol-A (BPA), a component of many plastics, has been found to disrupt the hormone system of human beings. Plastics can also contain phthalates or antimony. Baby bottles containing BPA have already been banned in the EU, and toxicologists have also raised concerns over the effects of phthalates and antimony. By contrast, glass is 100% inert – a major advantage for consumers.

Glass Protects Vital Resources

In terms of the expense of raw materials, Hecketsweiler points out that glass is made of natural ingredients which are found in abundance in nature. Glass container production efficiently uses resources and does not depend on oil. If renewable energy is available and secure, glass can be produced without the need for any fossil fuels.

By contrast, plastic is derived from oil. Around two kilograms of oil is required to produce one kilogram of PET plastic. Overall, the manufacture of plastics absorbs 4% of the world’s limited supplies of oil.

Glass Represents Real Value

While glass comes out ahead of plastics in most areas, the one area in which Hecketsweiler believes plastic can compete is price. However, her survey only covered two products in one French supermarket. As European consumers already know, most products are priced the same despite the packaging material used.

It is true that high quality products are often packaged in glass because it is the most reliable material in terms of taste preservation. Glass also guarantees a much longer shelf-life for the product, helping to reduce food waste in the supermarket and at home. That has to be good for both your purse and the planet!

If you like to enjoy a hot drink on your journey to work in the morning, take a look at these stunning double-walled glass bottles. Aquaovo specifically thought of tea drinkers when developing their flask. Simply place your tea in the space under the lid, and add boiling water to the container. When you are ready for a fresh brew, just invert the bottle to mix the water with the tea leaves. Stylish, practical and brewed perfectly to your taste!

The double-wall of glass helps to insulate the liquids inside, keeping them warmer (or colder) for longer than containers made from other materials. The outer layer of glass stays at room temperature, ensuring the bottle is easy to hold and preventing condensation from forming. And as they are made of glass, the contents are not tainted by the packaging.

The bottles produced by Silodesign are designed more for the table. Cold drinks, hot sauces, or even soup can be stylishly served from these beautiful containers. And the contents will taste just as the chef intended!

Most energy drinks come in garish colours that are more at home on the sports field than the table. Simply because they’re generally not considered “tableready” for exclusive venues such as hotels, restaurants and clubs. Well, not any more! New York beverage maker OSO has given us a sneak preview of the new glass bottles which will see its premium energy drink adding class to high-end bars and tables around the world.

OSO comes in two flavours: Gold and White Gold. Both use all-natural ingredients and lightly carbonated spring water from a source in the Austrian Alps. The herb Stevia provides natural sweetness for the lighter White Gold formula, without the calories of sugar.

The simple but elegant design of the glass bottle reflects the pristine clarity of the drink, its natural content and premium stature.

Fouad Kallamni, president of Premier Beverage Group, believes in the future of OSO:
“Our new packaging sets us apart from the cluttered mainstream energy drink category by providing a premium, glass-bottle design that discerning customers will be glad to enjoy.”

So tell us,  what do you think of this new packaging design? Share your opinion on our Facebook page!

Beatson Clark, a UK-based producer of glass packaging solutions, has launched a new website which showcases the health and environmental benefits of glass. The site is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to know more about how glass is produced and its environmental impact.

For Beatson Clark’s customers, the site showcases the glass bottle and jar solutions available. The company also offers a design service for clients who require glass packaging that will stand-out from the competition.

“Consumer demand for products packaged in glass is growing,” explains Charlotte Taylor, Marketing Manager for Beatson Clark. “With glass being 100% infinitely recyclable and totally inert, it is a healthy and sustainable product that helps to minimise the effect of packaging on the environment. We wanted our new website to illustrate these advantages so consumers and brand owners are more aware of just how remarkable glass is as a packaging form.”

French designer Christian Lacroix is probably best known for his stunning fashion creations. However, this Christmas, Lacroix is turning his eye to a more humble product – beer. Not just any beer of course. Lacroix has designed a festive glass bottle for Carlsberg’s premium Kronenbourg 1664.

According to Lacroix, the limited edition bottles represent refinement, magic and creativity. The graphics feature a stylised scene of Paris covered in snow. The image is printed on a sleeve which is placed over the bottle. Lacroix refers to the sleeve as the bottle’s ‘party clothes’.

We think the new clothes are going to see this beer invited to quite a lot of parties over the festive season. But be quick – the collector edition glass bottles are only available until the end of 2011!

Canadian skin-care company Cocoon Apothecary makes “… skin and body care products that are as good for your skin as they are for the Earth”. The company’s delicate products are packaged in amber glass bottles to protect them from light and contamination. Glass was chosen as it keeps the products fresh and safe, and it is easy to recycle or reuse.

With customers across North America, Cocoon needed packaging that would protect the bottles during transit. However, founder Jessica Burman was conscious that the packaging should have as light an impact on the Earth as her products. The result is a paper tube that is made from 95% post-consumer paper.

The tubes have a luxurious linen feel, but they are 100% biodegradable, making them ideal for recycling or composting. As they mainly contain recycled paper, the tubes do not contribute to deforestation. Vegetable inks are used to print the labels, ensuring that no toxic substances are leached as the tube degrades. The ethical thinking behind the tubes really stands out and makes them true Friends of Glass!

Yoplait’s Saveur d’Autrefois  is a range of high quality artisanal yoghurts. Until recently the yoghurts were packaged in stoneware pots. However, an eco-design and life cycle analysis of the Saveur d’Autrefois brand found that the stoneware pot had a negative impact on the environment. Although it was popular with consumers and reflected the homemade and luxury aspects of the brand, the pot could not be recycled.

Yoplait began to search for an alternative packaging material that reflected the quality of the product, would keep it fresh and healthy, and that could be recycled. Naturally they selected glass!

Since October, the entire Saveur d’Autrefois range has been made available in painted glass pots which are fully recyclable. At the moment the glass pots are only available in France but we hope to see them in other European countries soon. Let us know if you spotted the glass jars already somewhere via our Friends of Glass Facebook page.

Thank you Yoplait for making a clear choice for glass!

It’s almost Christmas time and here at the Friends of Glass we’re starting to think about what we will serve the family for our special dinner. One thing that is definitely off the menu is the chemical compound Bisphenol-A (BPA) which is found in many non-glass packaging materials.

It’s easy to avoid BPA – just use fresh ingredients wherever possible. And for those out of season treats, we will be using products that are packaged in glass jars and bottles. Sweet corn or garden peas take seconds to warm out of the jar and are almost as fresh and healthy as the day they were picked.

Too yummy to give

You can also try making your own accompaniments to the Christmas feast. Pack Nigella Lawson’s beetroot and ginger chutney into a Kilner jar and you have a delicious accompaniment to your Christmas roast, or a delightfully colourful gift for your food-loving friends.

While on the topic of Nigella, you should also try her delightful gingerbread stuffing. Much better than canned alternatives, it makes any Christmas bird sing! The bird will also need gravy, so why not try the US Breast Cancer Fund’s simple but yummy recipe? Vegetarians should substitute the meat stock with a suitable alternative and serve it with Simon Rimmer’s veggie Wellington.

And what do you think about a cream of mushroom soup, pumpkin pie or green bean casserole? And let’s not forget some homemade cranberry sauce. SafeMama shares her cooking tips & tricks on her blog.

There are loads of other yummy recipes on the Friends of Glass site and they are all BPA free! Why not add your suggestions?

Glass also adds class to the table!

Don’t forget the decorations – delicious healthy celebrations deserve an appropriate ‘glassy’ setting. Put out your best glassware and fill empty glass jars with a little sand and a candle to make a safe and cosy table decoration. Check the décor tips on Friends of Glass for even more inspiration. You can also add pictures of your festive tables to show us how glass adds class to your Christmas.

Looking forward to see your ideas

Craft breweries are popping up all over the place as beer connoisseurs seek tasty, locally produced alternatives to bland mass-market brews. For their part, brewers are seeking to craft a product from local organic ingredients that is more environmentally friendly and is better for you. Their aim is to create a sustainable local livelihood. However, increasing numbers of brewers are turning away from glass and choosing cans to package their brews.

One reason that is often cited is the light weight of cans. While weight is a consideration, the overall environmental impact of a packaging material should also be considered. And for brewers particularly, the effect of the packaging material on the taste and longevity of their products should be equally as important.

Let’s talk about taste first. Glass is the only packaging material that is exempt from the European Union’s regulations for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (known as REACH). REACH obliges industries to register any material or substance that might potentially be harmful for human health, and to duly inform citizens. Glass is also the only packaging material that has been rated Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration, a designation it has held since 1960.

Why? Because glass is the only packaging material that is completely safe for human beings over its entire lifecycle.

Unlike other packaging materials, glass has nothing to hide. Other materials require strip-mining to extract ores and need vast amounts of energy to process them. The main ingredient in glass is sand, a completely natural resource which is constantly being renewed by the action of the Earth’s oceans.

Most other packaging materials were only invented in the past 120 years. By contrast, the process for making glass has been around for more than 5,000 years, and it is relatively simple. And unlike other packaging materials, no toxic wastes are produced.

There is also a big difference at the end of the packaging material’s useful life. Most can be recycled, but their properties are compromised by the recycling process. This is known as downcycling, using a product to create a new product with reduced or inferior properties. However, glass can be recycled over and over again without losing its properties.

Almost every packaging material known to mankind is currently making the claim that it’s the greenest available. For consumers, those statements are sometimes difficult to verify. Thankfully regulators are starting to take note of these ‘greenwashing’ campaigns and are taking action against products that make claims which cannot be substantiated.There is no denying that other materials possess unique properties and they have a role to play in our world. But they often come at an enormous environmental and social cost. Is it really worth that cost to make beer lighter to carry?

We’re sure that when the first wheel was made, someone wondered out loud if it would work better if it was a hexagon shape. So it is with wine bottles. First we had plastic bottles, now someone has decided wine will be more environmentally friendly if it is delivered in paper bottles.

It’s a noble idea, but let’s just get one thing out of the way quickly – unlike glass and liquids, paper and liquids don’t mix well. That’s why the ‘paper bottle’ is actually lined with plastic. So your wine is not packaged in compostable paper, it’s really packaged in plastic which may contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) or other chemicals.

Glass is not a chemistry experiment

Glass wine bottles do not need plastic linings to keep their contents safe and drinkable. Unlike plastics, glass does not react with the contents of the bottle and no substances are leached into the wine. And in glass, the wine can stay fresh for many decades. A study by the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ISVV) in Bordeaux, France, found that the flavour and chemical composition of white wine changed within six months of being packed into single- and multi-layer PET bottles, or a bag-in-a-box. In glass bottles, wine actually tastes like wine, not a chemistry experiment.

The paper bottle’s makers argue that their version is lighter than glass bottles and therefore it reduces emissions – particularly during transport. Paper is lighter than glass, even when it comes with a plastic lining. But weight is not the only issue consumers should consider. Research by UK-based resource efficiency experts WRAP (see Study Reveals Carbon Impact of Bottling Australian Wine in the UK in PET and Glass Bottles) showed that “… the higher CO₂ emissions arising for PET from manufacture offset much of the savings obtained from its low weight.”

When talking about weight and comparing materials, a number of parameters must be taken into account in order to compare like with like. For example, is the packaging locally produced? Is it fully and effectively recycled locally or exported to third-party countries for processing? What is the recycled content of the packaging? The list of parameters goes on and on. Simply claiming your material is the most environmentally friendly doesn’t make it so.

Glass is the consumer’s choice

Unlike plastic, glass is made from sand and other naturally occurring raw materials. It is produced in local glass factories, near to where it will be filled. Glass is also 100% and infinitely recyclable in an effective local bottle-to-bottle system. And talking about weight, glass is now much lighter and stronger than it was 20 years ago. New glass bottles weigh about 300 g, a saving of 40% in just two decades, and the industry is working hard to make them even lighter and stronger than ever before.

There’s also the matter of style. Can you really see yourself ordering wine in a paper bottle at a restaurant? Perhaps you can start by asking for plastic glasses next time you go out to see how it will feel. Glass adds class!

Switching from glass to plastics in the name of the environment makes glass the scapegoat. But it doesn’t necessarily reduce waste or the impact of packaging on the environment. By using arguments such as weight or breakability to define a ‘greener choice’, packaging decision makers are neglecting the bigger picture, and the voices of their consumers.

A recent independent survey of more than 8,000 consumers across 17 European countries found that 74% prefer glass as their packaging material (InSites, 2010). A clear majority (65%) choose glass because it best preserves the taste of the food or beverage it contains. And for special occasion beverages, 79% of respondents choose glass. This is one of the main reasons why wine producers pack their vintages in glass bottles.

But what do you think about buying your wine in paper bottles? Are they all they are cut out to be? Vote for your preferred type of wine bottle on Facebook and let us know:

• Plastic?
• Wine Box?
• Carton?
• Glass?
• Metal?