Glass Vs Plastic: Which Is Best For Packaging?

When you’re looking for the ideal container for your products, it can be difficult to decide between the huge variety of products available on the market. There’s a lot to consider, from brand aesthetic to environmental concerns to chemical resistance. All these factors (and more) can be part of the fundamental material used to make the container. As a result, it’s important to consider both glass and plastic bottles when you’re making your next packaging choice.

To make the glass vs. plastic decision a little easier to make, we’ve broken down the debate into the most common concerns for packaging stockists.

Environmental concerns – Glass Vs Plastic

Glass is usually considered the most eco friendly packaging material. It’s fully recyclable, and it’s made from abundant natural materials such as sand and recycled glass cutlets. As a result, it’s much easier to produce without negatively impacting the environment. Plastic, meanwhile, has a poor environmental reputation when it comes to production. However, if you buy bottles made from recycled plastics, you can minimise the eco impact of using plastic packaging. Plastic is also much lighter than glass, so it can help you reduce your carbon footprint when you’re despatching your goods.

Packaging Durability

For online ecommmerce stores, in-transit breakages can be a problem when using glass packaging. This in turn piles up the customer returns, costing you money in supplies and couriers. Plastics such as PET and HDPE are shatterproof, meaning fewer breakages and more profitability. Clear or coloured PET can also offer a glass-like appearance, making it a strong replacement for glass bottles.

Packaging Costs

Glass tends to be more expensive than plastic to purchase and transport. However, some of this cost can be offset by the higher price points at which you can sell products packaged in glass bottles and jars.

Brand Aesthetics – Glass Vs Plastic

Reports suggest up to 85% of consumers prefer glass packaging – and there’s no doubt it offers a much more premium look than plastic. However, whether you choose to use glass or plastic packaging is probably more dependent on your brand’s overall look than on consumer trends. If you already use a certain material that’s become key to your brand aesthetic, it may pay to stick with it. However, if you’re a new enterprise or launching a new product range, it may be worth considering an alternative material to your standard choice.

Chemical resistance

If you store or supply hazardous materials, this is an important one to consider. HDPE plastic is renowned for its chemical-resistant properties, so this should be considered if you’re looking to packaging solvents, paints, alcohols or certain acids. There are many different plastic varieties, all of which offer varying degrees of chemical-resistance. Check chemical compatibility with different plastics here. Similarly, glass can corrode if it comes into contact with certain chemicals, so it’s worth checking on a product-by-product basis.

Versatility

Whether you ultimately choose glass or plastic, you can often save money on your packaging by buying wholesale. At Amphorea, we offer generous discounts on both glass and plastic when you buy in large quantities. If you choose a container with great flexibility and versatility, you can use it across multiple product lines and make use of our bulk discounts. You’ll also find that lots of our packaging products are available in a range of sizes, which allows you to expand your product lines without compromising your carefully selected container.

When you’ve chosen between glass vs plastic, make sure to take a look at our extensive range of packaging products in your chosen material.