Glass had 5 – 50× higher plastic than plastic or cans
The French tested water, soda, beer, iced tea, lemonade, and wine sold nationwide and found that glass-bottled beverages carried far more plastic shrapnel than plastic bottles or cans.
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0/ What the study found
“Around a hundred microplastic particles per litre” in cola, lemonade, iced tea and beer packed in glass — 5 – 50 × higher than their plastic-bottled or canned twins.
For still or sparkling water the counts were lower but still lopsided: 4.5 µplastics /L in glass vs. 1.6 µplastics /L in plastic.
Wine (with a cork, not a crown cap) stayed almost micro-plastic-free.
“Around a hundred microplastic particles per litre” in cola, lemonade, iced tea and beer packed in glass — 5 – 50 × higher than their plastic-bottled or canned twins.
For still or sparkling water the counts were lower but still lopsided: 4.5 µplastics /L in glass vs. 1.6 µplastics /L in plastic.
Wine (with a cork, not a crown cap) stayed almost micro-plastic-free.
1/ Why is glass worse?
Paint flakes from the metal crown caps are almost identical in colour and polymer chemistry to the particles in the drink, pinning them as the culprit — not the glass itself.
Corked wine being microplastic free gives another strong clue
Cleaning matters: bottles capped with untreated crowns shed 287 particles /L, but a simple air-blast plus alcohol rinse cut that to 87 particles /L.
Paint flakes from the metal crown caps are almost identical in colour and polymer chemistry to the particles in the drink, pinning them as the culprit — not the glass itself.
Corked wine being microplastic free gives another strong clue
Cleaning matters: bottles capped with untreated crowns shed 287 particles /L, but a simple air-blast plus alcohol rinse cut that to 87 particles /L.
3/ Glass vs plastic bottled water microplastic exposure math
If you hit the recommended 2 L of water a day using glass bottles at 4.5 ppL, you swallow ≈ 3300 microplastics a year.
The same hydration from plastic bottles at 1.6 ppL is ≈ 1170 particles a year.
If you hit the recommended 2 L of water a day using glass bottles at 4.5 ppL, you swallow ≈ 3300 microplastics a year.
The same hydration from plastic bottles at 1.6 ppL is ≈ 1170 particles a year.
4/ Go tap-and-filter
Well-maintained 0.2 µm filter or reverse osmosis) and that annual load typically drops to hundreds or less, depending on local mains data.
Well-maintained 0.2 µm filter or reverse osmosis) and that annual load typically drops to hundreds or less, depending on local mains data.
5/ Why it matters
Microplastics provoke inflammation and can ferry endocrine-disrupting leachable chemicals.
Microplastics provoke inflammation and can ferry endocrine-disrupting leachable chemicals.
6/ Practical take-aways
Choose tap with a good home filter whenever possible (reverse osmosis with remineralization is the gold standard).
If you need packaged drinks, cans generally beat glass until crown-cap coatings improve.
Industry fix is easy: de-dust or re-formulate those cap paints. ANSES showed a 70 % drop with basic cleaning.
Choose tap with a good home filter whenever possible (reverse osmosis with remineralization is the gold standard).
If you need packaged drinks, cans generally beat glass until crown-cap coatings improve.
Industry fix is easy: de-dust or re-formulate those cap paints. ANSES showed a 70 % drop with basic cleaning.
7/ Study limitations
All samples were French brands; global bottling lines may vary.
Only particles ≥ 30 µm were counted — nanoplastics are unknown.
One-off sampling; seasonal shifts weren’t captured.
The work measures exposure, not proven health harm.
Bottom line: Until cap coatings get a cleanup, “glass is safest” is a myth.
All samples were French brands; global bottling lines may vary.
Only particles ≥ 30 µm were counted — nanoplastics are unknown.
One-off sampling; seasonal shifts weren’t captured.
The work measures exposure, not proven health harm.
Bottom line: Until cap coatings get a cleanup, “glass is safest” is a myth.
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