Everyone’s favorite recycled commodity isn’t as environmentally friendly as they think: study

of Masjid it’s not always greener.

Thought you were going green by buying glassware? Think again. This so-called environmentally friendly ship component is much less sustainable than people believe, according to scientists at the University of Amherst in Massachusetts.

“Although glass is idealized as more sustainable, other types of packaging may be more sustainable,” the authors wrote in the study published last month in the journal Sustainability.

Unfortunately, many glass facades are synonymous with durability as well as cost efficiency.

Researchers surveyed 850 consumers who grew up on their ideal orange juice packaging, finding that most preferred a $1.10, 12-ounce glass bottle that is produced locally and labeled 100% recyclable, Food & Wine Magazine reported.

This was followed by cardboard, aluminum and plastic containers, through a recent press release.

“Glass was the most sought after and valued type of packaging,” said Nomzamo Dlamini, lead author of the paper. “But it turns out that glass is actually among the least sustainable if you look at the entire life cycle of packaging.”

The team reached this conclusion by comparing the packaging process of glass, cardboard, aluminum and plastic.

They found that while the durability of food packaging varies depending on the contents, size and weight of the container and other factors, cardboard reigns supreme when it comes to single-serving orange juice.

In second place for sustainability was plastic, followed by conservation and finally, glass, shattering perceptions that the latter is king.

Also, contrary to plastic’s planet-killing reputation, the petroleum product’s “production and end-of-life impacts” are less than glass, and it’s lighter and therefore requires less energy to transport. , according to the study.

Not to mention that the steam-based sealing process used with plastic containers requires less energy than the retort system used for glass.

Ultimately, the paper concludes that while “packaging choices contribute to environmental outcomes, the most impactful and practical way consumers can contribute to sustainability efforts is to reduce or avoid food waste.”