FAQs About Glass Bottles and Glass Jars

Have you ever looked at something and started to wonder how it came to be? Curiosity is human nature, and the hunger to find out things about the everyday objects that we use in life is normal. From the moment they are manufactured to the point where they endup in our houses.

The shape and color of a glass bottle are bound to raise serious questions in the mind of the user. These questions are usually structured as Frequently Asked Questions. Most manufacturers have the common ones that pertain to their products, specifically on their websites.

Are all types of glass bottles recyclable?

Yes. All types of glass bottles are 100% recyclable. Glass is made from naturally occurring materials like sands and other minerals through various processes. Once glass is made, it takes a very long time for it to decompose. It takes over a million years for glass to completely decompose, what this means is that the first-ever glass to be made is still around, intact.

Due to this reason, the best way to deal with an object possessing such longevity is recycling. All types of glass bottles can be recycled for reuse, and the process spares the environment a lot. For every ton of glass that is recycled, there is a corresponding ton of natural resources that are spared in return.

Why do bottles and jars have thick glass bottoms?

The extra thick bottom in glass bottles is mainly for aesthetic purposes; it gives the bottle a more valuable look. The effect is achieved through the creation of a unique mold called the parison that has a higher glass mass than the other parts of the bottle. This high mass makes the parison maintain that thickness during the blowing process.

Why can't a glass jar and bottle be filled to the brim?

The headspace left at the brim is to allow for the expansion of the liquid inside the bottle as the temperature changes over time. There is a filling method for every liquid in relation to the headspace. Alcoholic drinks, for example, require a headspace of about 4-5% of the total volume of the contents, while something like maple syrup requires a 7% headspace.

What are the small dots on the bottom of a bottle for?

The dots at the bottom of most glass bottles are spaced out in a sequence that represents the mold code number. Their purpose is to allow for an easy electronic process of manufacture during production.

Why is dark glass used for red wine?

The practice of using dark bottles for red wine has a lot to do with tradition; it has been a practice for a very long time. At the same time, it has a lot to do with protecting the contents from the effects of direct sunlight, which can affect the taste and the aging process.

What are the advantages of glass bottles and jars over plastic?

Glass is more environmentally friendly compared to plastic. The number of times you can recycle the same glass bottle is endless. When it comes to plastics, the cost of manufacturing is way lower than recycling. This is the reason why plastics are produced in larger quantities than any other thing.

Are glass bottles biodegradable?

No. Glass is made out of natural minerals like sand. It may break down over time into smaller fragments and turn back into sand, but it is not biodegradable. Once glass is made, it becomes “immortal.”

Why are most beer bottles brown?

In the early days of bottled beer, it used to be packaged in clear glass. With time, however, after being exposed to sunlight, the taste of the beer would be found to be “skunky. The reason for this was the UV light rays that would alter the flavor. This made the bottles to be switched to brown and green.

Is there a special process of making beer bottles?

Beer bottles are made in similar fashion like the rest of their counterparts; the only variation in their manufacture is that they are subject to a higher amount of pressure. Beer bottles must register a pressure resistance of about 6 bars. That is the reason why most of them are thicker.

Why do bottles have the same capacity but different glass weights?

This is all down to their manufacturing process and the brand preferences. For most, the shape of the bottle may need more glass quantities for things like the edges; for others, they may require a more robust mechanical strength; this is the case for carbonated drinks and champagne. In the marketing sense, the heavier a bottle is, the more valuable it looks.

Why does a white film sometimes appear on glasses and bottles?

Humidity is the reason behind this white film. It draws out alkalis from the surface of the glass at a constant rate until all the moisture content is evaporated completely. The cloudy appearance you see on glass is because of the presence of carbonates that form on the surface due to Carbon Dioxide in the air. It is the reason why the glass appears misty the moment you pour a liquid inside.

How is glass color changed?

Glass color can be altered in several ways. The first one is through the addition of colorants. Many bottle manufacturers tend to avoid this route since it forces them to clean the whole furnace to get rid of the coloration that could affect production later on.

Another way of making colored bottles is through the feeders where color flakes are fed into one section of the production creating colored bottles. This is a much more efficient process since it does not require the whole furnace to be cleaned.

Is there any particular difference between blue glass and green glass?

There is not much difference in terms of composition and function when it comes to blue and green glass. The colorants used are what differs between the two. Chromite is used for blue glass and cobalt for green glass. In terms of functionalities, UV filtration is higher in green glass compared to blue glass.