It is a firm and solid material made of silica (quartz sand) that is typically brittle. If recycled properly, glass is a more reusable material than plastic. When glass is recycled, it is ordinarily reused as the same old glass.

Glass is used in the following non-exhaustive list of products: Packaging (jars for food, bottles for drinks, flacon for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals) Tableware (drinking glasses, plate, cups, bowls) Housing and buildings (windows, facades, conservatory, insulation, reinforcement structures)

In its basic structure, glass is made from pure silica that can most commonly be found in sand.

Glass is heavier than plastic, and breaks much easier during transit. This means it produces more emissions in transportation than plastic, and costs more to transport. Yet another thing to consider is most glass isn’t actually recycled. Colored glass can only be recycled and melted down with like-colors.

Study: Glass Bottles Harm the Environment More Than Plastic Bottles. A new study finds that glass bottles, particularly ones for carbonated drinks, are worse than plastic for the environment. Glass bottles could have an even bigger impact on the environment than plastic ones, a new study has found.

The major environmental impact of glass production is caused by atmospheric emissions from melting activities. The combustion of natural gas/fuel oil and the decomposition of raw materials during the melting lead to the emission of CO2. This is the only greenhouse gas emitted during the production of glass.

Glass is the safest water bottle type and offers the purity of taste, but stainless steel offers insulation benefits that keep your beverages hot or cold.

Because glass is made of natural materials, there is no danger of inorganic chemicals leaching into liquids when it’s heated or cooled. It also doesn’t hold flavor — some people complain that water in plastic or metal bottles tastes like chemicals or tin. Glass tends to be heavier than metal or plastic, however.

There are many different types of plastic glasses but only one kind contains BPA, and that’s polycarbonate. Glasses made from other plastics are considered BPA free because they don’t contain the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA.

Summary: Enamelled drinking glasses and popular merchandise can contain more than 1000 times the limit level of lead and up to 100 times the limit level of cadmium, a study has shown. Enamelled drinking glasses and popular merchandise can contain potentially toxic levels of lead and cadmium, a study has shown.

According to Iyer, it is safe to use water glass bottles which are pharmaceutical grade or Flint Glass Type – III. Glass bottles not just preserve the minerals but also ensure that the water remains fresh, and therefore better for your health and environment. Glass bottles, given their structure, can be recycled.