Why glass bottles are “good”

1) Glass is chemically inert (great for taste + peace of mind)

Glass is essentially non-porous and doesn’t contain the huge mix of additives that plastics can. That matters because many plastic products can leach complex chemical mixtures into what they touch (especially with heat, time, and wear). In the EU, food-contact materials are legally expected to be “inert” so they don’t endanger health or change the food. Industry/regulatory summaries for glass packaging emphasize that common soda-lime glass is effectively inert in food contact, with very low migration.

Practical payoff: cleaner flavor, fewer “packaging” notes, and less concern about packaging-derived chemicals.

2) Better barrier performance (especially for carbonation + aroma)

Glass is an excellent barrier to oxygen and CO₂, which helps preserve sparkle, aroma, and freshness. For carbonated drinks, research comparing glass vs PET reports lower CO₂ loss in glass during storage.

Practical payoff: soda/sparkling water stays crisp longer; sensitive flavors (citrus, botanicals) hold up better.

3) Recyclable—and can be highly circular (when systems exist)

Glass is widely recyclable, and refillable/returnable glass can be reused many times in deposit systems (often cited as dozens of trips in practice, though it depends on the country and logistics). But here’s the key nuance: single-use glass is often more impact-heavy than single-use plastic due to weight/energy, while reusable glass can win when it’s refilled many times and transported efficiently.

Practical payoff: glass is “best” environmentally when it’s returnable + locally looped, not when it’s shipped far as single-use.

4) Premium perception + better consumer experience

Consumers often perceive glass as higher quality and more pleasant. It’s also heat-resistant and easy to clean for reuse (at home or in deposit systems).

Important caveats (so you don’t oversell it)

A) Microplastics can still show up—even in glass bottles

A surprising finding from France’s food safety agency (ANSES) is that some drinks in glass bottles had more microplastic particles than plastic bottles, likely from painted/treated caps shedding particles. So “glass bottle” isn’t automatically “zero plastic exposure” if the closure is the weak point.

If you want to minimize this risk: choose producers using high-quality, low-shedding closures; avoid scuffed/poorly finished caps; consider cork (where appropriate) as some reporting notes differences by closure type.

B) It’s heavier + breakable

Heavier packaging increases transport emissions and breakage risk, which is why reuse + short transport distances matter so much for sustainability.

Bottom line

Glass bottles are “good” because they’re inert, protect flavor/carbonation, and can be highly circular in refill systems. They’re not perfect: closures can introduce microplastics, and single-use glass can be environmentally costly unless reuse logistics are strong.