Plastic vs Glass Bottles

Which type of bottles should I use?

Choosing either plastic or glass juice bottles for your new juice business is an important decision that might have more factors than you have considered. I will explore some of the pros and cons of each:

Plastic Juice Bottles

Pros:

1. Cheap – Landed cost usually less than $0.60 per bottle for 16 oz / 500 ml (when purchased in quantity).
2. Light – Cheaper shipping, easier to move and store.
3. Durable – Less broken bottles.

Cons:

1. Less premium look and feel.
2. Pollution – Worse for the environment.
3. Toxicity – Most plastic bottles are BPA free, however some of the hard plastic reusable bottles (think baby bottles) contain BPA, which may be harmful to humans [FDA].

Glass Juice Bottles

Pros:

1. Premium look and feel. Important for image and marketing for premium juice brands.
2. Reusable – Better for the environment.
3. Return program – Some juice companies offer a credit if a customer brings back an empty bottle. This brings customers back to the store where they are likely to buy something.
4. Non Toxic – Glass does not contain potentially harmful chemicals.

Cons:

1. More Expensive – Depending on quantity purchased, glass beverage bottles can easily be over $3.00/ea for the standard 16 oz / 500 ml size. When ordering large quantities (thousands) can usually get the landed cost including shipping down to about $1.50 in the US.
2. Labor Costs – If running a return program, de-labeling, washing, and sanitizing bottles can add a lot of labor costs, and extra space and equipment is needed for the bottle washing.
3. Breakage – Glass bottles can break during shipping and storage, causing some waste.