We know that plastic is porous and prone to leaching dangerous chemicals into food and then into your body; this increases as your plastic containers age or are heated. With glass, there is no chemical interaction between the container and its contents.
By using glass Tupperware, you can be certain that your food will not be contaminated by harmful chemicals. Glass is natural, sustainable, and recyclable. It is also more sanitary as it can withstand heat easier than plastic, meaning that it is easier to clean.
"They each offer different levels of bacterial growth support. The best would be to use stainless steel (think the Stanley craze that has hit social media) or good old glass water bottles," says Gerhardt. "Both tend to be easier to clean and harbour fewer bacteria compared to plastic bottles.
It may seem surprising, but Brock's study found that plastic bottles are less environmentally damaging than glass bottles. Although plastic cannot be endlessly recycled, the manufacturing process is less energy-intensive, as there is a lower melting point for plastics compared with glass.
Glass is BPA free thanks to its inert qualities – it won't react to substances it comes into contact with. So, if you're looking for BPA free plastic alternatives, glass is the healthiest option.
Glass: a hygienic material
Glass water bottles are more hygienic than plastic bottles, in particular because glass is naturally non-porous. This means that germs and bacteria cannot penetrate the material, which makes glass water bottles easier to clean and keep them clean.
Stainless Steel – Many experts agree that stainless steel water bottles are the healthiest choice. Unlike plastic, they are highly sustainable and eco-friendly because of the longevity of the material. They also offer other benefits, such as being free from harmful chemicals and toxins.
Glass Food Containers Are Toxin Free
I recommend everyone use glass food storage containers. Glass containers don't contain phthalates or BPA, which means they're free of toxins. They also won't add to your body's toxic burden because nothing leaches out of glass into your food.
Glass is not as convenient as plastic: it's heavy and easily breakable (not ideal for kids for example). Glass is heavier and more fragile than plastic. This makes transportation more expensive due to increased weight and the need for packaging materials to cushion the product during transportation.
Since they are non-porous, glass materials do not absorb or release any toxic chemicals or microscopic particles when used. If you are looking for a food-safe storage solution, glass is the best choice.
Unlike plastic, which can leach harmful chemicals into the context kept inside, glass remains inert which means that it doesn't add any nasty substances to its contents. This non-toxicity looks after human health, but also reduces the risk of environmental contamination which helps keep our ecosystems healthy too.
Just how dirty is your reusable water bottle? The Reliable Sauce team lab tested ten reusable water bottles and found that they contained an average of 20.1 million bacteria per ml. In comparison, the public toilets that they tested, had just 600 bacteria per ml.
Sponges and cloths: a feast in the kitchen
But in reality, these are the household items which hold the most bacteria according to a study by Scientific Reports. So, if you haven't already done so: change them, wash them or throw them away!
However, it should be noted that glass takes much longer to degrade than plastic, so if you're looking to store food for a longer period of time, glass might be a better option.
It is generally completely inert (i.e., non-reactive and non-leaching) and is impermeable to liquids and gases. These inert and impermeable qualities of glass make it completely safe for food and drink usage.
However, during the early 1950s, plastic bottles replaced glass because they were lighter in weight, easier to transport, and harder to damage in transit. The manufacturing faculties for plastic also began to hit their stride during this time, making plastic a cheaper and easier to produce option for bottles.
The mass market proved it didn't like glass bottles, so the vendors moved away from them. If the consumer preferred glass bottles it would be the plastic bottle that is hard to come by today, but in reality the consumer prefers the plastic bottle. They are much cheaper and more convenient than the glass bottle.
Winner: Plastic Bottle!
Although waste processing has a lower environmental impact for glass bottles, the high material impacts cause a higher global warming potential for glass bottles compared to plastic bottles throughout their entire life cycle.
The process of smelting and refining glass requires high temperatures, which demands a significant amount of energy. In the US, where energy costs can be substantial, this poses a financial challenge to recycling facilities.
Environmental impact: Plastic, even when refillable, is less environmentally friendly than glass or metal. In one study, plastic was shown to harbor more bacteria than glass or metal bottles due to its more porous surface.
Multiple studies have found that hard microwavable plastic products, such as Tupperware and plastic packaging considered 'microwave safe,' release staggering amounts of microplastics into food, especially when microwaved due to heat and chemical reactions.
Glass is among the safest materials for water bottles since it is non-reactive. It won't cause harmful chemicals or toxins to leach into the water, making the water you drink safer and chemical-free. Using glass water bottles ensures the purity of the water keeping it free from various health risks.
Steer clear of polycarbonate (PC #7) to avoid bisphenol-A (BPA). Polycarbonate is a clear hard plastic used in some reusable water bottles, baby bottles, commercial water jugs, and kitchen appliances like automatic coffee makers and food processors. Instead, choose glass or unlined stainless steel for drink containers.
Alkaline water may be one of the healthiest waters to consume. The pH level of regular drinking water is a neutral 7. Alkaline water has a pH level of 8 to 9.5. It contains properties that may even protect your body from free radicals, which are often linked to inflammation and many chronic diseases.
Our products undergo routine testing and validation to meet and exceed established regulatory limits and neither are known to leach any harmful chemicals or present health risks.