BLOG IN A BOTTLE

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!

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?

haji water and haji cola are two new drinks that are revolutionising the soft drink market in Germany. Founded in 2009 by friends and business partners Ali Eghbal and Gregor vom Endt, haji is the exclusive sponsor of the Friends of Glass Pass the Bottle game in Germany.

haji’s products are based on all natural ingredients and, since July 2010, both drinks have been available in beautiful returnable glass bottles. The outstanding design of the bottles was recognised with the 2010 Red Dot Design Award.

As vom Endt says: “All life starts with water” and haji water comes direct from the Rhön-Sprudel spring, found in the Rhön UNESCO biosphere reserve. The same water source is used for haji cola which contains no phosphor or refined sugar. Instead it is sweetened with fresh date syrup and natural fructose. Other natural ingredients such as coriander, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon are used to give the cola its unique taste.

Of course those natural flavours are preserved in the stunning glass haji bottle, ensuring a taste sensation in your mouth. Already getting thirsty? Why not Pass a Bottle? Cheers!

Appletiser and Grapetiser are well-known South African soft drinks. For decades they have been sold in glass bottles and cans and marketed as 100% fruit juice with no added sugar, preservatives or colourants. With the costs of packaging increasing, the company decided to switch to cheaper plastic PET bottles.

But there is a problem.

Unlike glass bottles and steel cans, the PET bottles are unable to withstand pasteurisation, a process which involves heating the juice to 70 degrees Celcius. This required Appletiser to start adding preservatives to the PET bottles, something that came as a shock to many consumers.

“For 70% of existing consumers, the addition of preservatives to the plastic packs wasn’t an issue – the environmental impact was their biggest concern,” notes Appletiser’s Marketing Director, Neil Hobkirk. Appletiser’s solution? Remove the ‘no preservatives’ label on all containers, even though the glass bottles and the cans are still preservative free.

Are you an Appletiser or Grapetiser fan? Are you planning to switch or will you continue to buy your favourite ‘preservative free’ drink in all natural glass? Share your thoughts via the Friends of Glass Facebook page.

Jeff Scanlan is a magician by trade. But after reading about the great Harry Eng’ Impossible Bottles in 1996, Scanlan became fascinated. Eng was renown for his ability to insert large and unusual objects into ordinary glass bottles. Scanlan spent three years studying Eng’s methods and, in his words: “Breaking bottles and ruining many decks of cards.”

All the effort paid off and Scanlan is now creating his own range of Impossible Bottles. To date he has inserted trainers, tennis balls, and even an upside-down corkscrew in a bottle. The bottles are not heated, cooled, cut or formed around the object or manipulated in any way.

The results are quite astonishing and Scanlan’s creations are now commanding high prices. We’re not quite sure we’d have the patience to do this ourselves, but a Scanlan original would certainly be a conversation-piece in the Friends of Glass offices!

One of our glass ambassadors, Elaine Jones, is truly excited when it comes to crafting and designing with glass. And even more when she can show people what can be done with recycled glass!

There so many items that can be made to grace your home.  From recycling glass bottles into cheeseboards, butter dishes, tapas dishes, clocks, jewellery and much, much more.

Each piece is unique as glass slumps in many different ways and is not always predictable.  For Elaine, this is what makes working with glass so amazing. She just loves the colours and textures that come out of the kiln.

And it never ceases to amaze her that when people see their displays the most common comment is “It’s not real glass is it?” or “How do you crush the glass flat?”. People just make lovely comments on her chosen colour, texture and originality.

She shares her passion with her husband who is the “Techy” in their projects. Elaine takes the creative lead.

Elaine’s  inspiration for her creations?  They come from nature and functionality, she says:
“I love to transform a used item of glass into a thing of beauty that can be used in another form.”

Her philosphy?  Love glass and let it live on! Something we truly love to hear!

Whether you are creating a dinner party extravaganza for friends or just a simple dinner for the family, nothing livens up your cooking more than fresh herbs. But growing fresh herbs takes time and a lot of space doesn’t it?

Not any more with this wonderful idea for a window-ledge herb garden from our friends at Design Sponge. Using discarded bottles, you can create a self-watering herb garden that will be the envy of your neighbours. You will need at least one wine bottle, a small piece of mesh, some string and your favourite herbs. Take a look at the easy instructions on Design Sponge and share your results with us on our Facebook page.

The colours of soft drinks in glass bottles make a practical, economical and beautiful display as our friends at Project Wedding show. Simply chill the bottles before your event, then place them out on a table or bench to add a touch of colour to your celebration. You can mix and match the colours, or choose a range to suit the colour-theme of your event.

It can be hard to find bottles in the appropriate size. Project Wedding recommend some US-based suppliers on their site. In Europe, our favourite is the naturally fermented range from German soft drink maker Bionade. Which bottles and colours would you choose? Share your suggestions on our Facebook page!

It’s summertime again and that means long warm evenings on the balcony with nice company and a refreshing drink. What better way to celebrate the alfresco life than with your own herb-infused vodkas?

They are very easy to make. You just need good quality vodka, clean and dry airtight glass jars or bottles, and your choice of herbs and fruits to flavour the vodka. Simply pour the vodka into the glass container and add a few stems of your chosen flavouring (you can use more than one!), seal the lid and place in the freezer for a few days to infuse. Pour over ice and serve.

Thanks to Ashley English at Design Change for this tip. Why not add your favourite flavour combinations to the Friends of Glass recipe page?

Do you share the same memories as ours that no childhood breakfast table was ever complete without a glass bottle of milk? Yummy.

Although glass milk bottles are still an important part of the morning ritual, news from the UK is that the government there is calling for better recyclability of plastic milk bottles. Good news, it would seem. But some packagers and producers aren’t so happy about it.

The plans call for an increase in the recycled content of plastic milk bottles, in the form of recycled HDPE (rHDPE) pellets, from 10% to 30% by 2015. Thing is, these pellets give the plastic bottles a green hue, according to a research report from WRAP (the Waste & Reductions Action Plan – their website is worth a visit).

This is because the green bottle caps ‘contaminate’ the rHDPE-bottle, making it all greeny. And the only greeny things we like at the breakfast table are apples.

We’re big believers in recyclability, but in a type of recyclability that is more cradle-to-cradle instead of cradle-to-grave.

A cradle-to-cradle recycling system means that a packaging material – just like glass – can pretty much be recycled as many times as possible, and not just once (the cradle-to-grave system).

The good news is that Europe is getting better at recycling glass bottles. 62% of glass in Europe is collected for recycling; 97% of that is actually recycled.

Via: LetsRecycle.com