Glass vs. Plastic: Which is Best For Storing Medication In Bottles?

According to the British Heart Foundation, nearly half of adults in England take some form of prescription medicine in any given week. Meanwhile, some eight million of us UK-wide are on a minimum of five medications and more than 2.2m use 10 or more medications a day.

So the chances are you have at least one type of prescription medicine in your home, while pharmaceuticals are also big business.

Both glass and plastic are widely used for medicine bottles, each with distinct benefits and drawbacks, and choice of packaging matters more than you may have realised when ensuring these products work as effectively as possible.

Here, we give a brief overview of the pros and cons of each material, to help you make an informed decision, whether you’re buying for yourself or commercially.

Safety and Durability of the Medication Bottle

Glass is fragile and vulnerable to shattering, while the resulting sharp shards are of course potentially dangerous. For its part, plastic is shatterproof and highly impact-resistant, making it durable and ideal if you often need to travel with your meds. So plastic withstands rough handling and shipping better than glass can.

Weight of the Medicine Packaging

Glass is clearly heavier than plastic. And this can make a real difference in terms of transportation costs, both financially and environmentally, if you’re shipping in bulk.

UV Protection Medication Packaging

When it comes to protection from ultraviolet or UV rays, both glass and plastic perform well, which is key to maximising medications’ shelf life and maintaining their quality. Tinted amber glass in particular provides optimal anti-UV protection, while plastic can be made fully opaque or treated for safeguarding against ultraviolet rays.

Barrier Integrity

Moisture causes chemical breakdown and can physically alter medication. It can also result in mould or bacteria growing, while if pills clump, degrade unevenly or dissolve prematurely due to dampness, it becomes possible to take the wrong dose, which of course can be potentially dangerous.

Here again, both materials perform well. Glass is 100% impermeable to oxygen, gas and moisture, although plastic can be more permeable over time, particularly in areas of high humidity.

Chemical interaction of Pharmaceutical Containers

While glass is completely inert and non-reactive, meaning there is no chemical leaching, plastic can potentially leach stabilisers or microplastics into liquid medications. Equally, glass absorb doesn’t absorb active ingredients over time.

Longevity of Medical Packaging

In terms of material shelf life and chemical stability, glass medicine bottles typically last longer. Stored under normal conditions, glass remains stable for decades without undergoing any functional changes. However, plastic models will have greater longevity in terms of resistance to damage from being dropped and other physical impact.

But plastic does undergo polymer degradation over time. This gradual process can be accelerated by exposure to UV rays, changes in temperature and long-term contact with some chemical formulations.

The other things to bear in mind are that plastic tends to scratch relatively easily, and can absorb odours or some active ingredients.

Temperature Resistance of Pharmaceutical Packaging

Glass withstands high temperatures and heat well without melting, warping or degrading. However, it may shatter or crack due to thermal shock on exposure to extreme, sudden temperature fluctuations. Plastic is durable, but extreme heat can compromise both the container and the medication inside.

Plastic can warp, soften or lose its structural integrity at lower temperatures than glass does, and most standard plastics become brittle and crack easily in freezing conditions.

Environmental Impact for Pharmaceutical Packaging

Glass is generally seen as the eco-friendly choice since it’s 100% recyclable and can be recycled multiple times. However, many plastics are also widely recyclable and some products can be made from recycled versions of this material.

As the lighter substance, plastic can be packed more tightly, allowing you to carry more bottles at a time, thus reducing transportation fuel costs and carbon footprint over time. 

Different Requirements for Different Medicine

 A well-produced plastic bottle is ideal for most dry pills and capsules and will offer a high degree of protection. Some liquid preparations also do better in plastic containers because there are no pH shifts over time, which can happen in certain glass containers.

But for most liquid meds and injectables, glass is preferred as it is more chemically inert.

Glass and Plastic Medicine Bottles from Wains

At family-run, Tunbridge Wells-based Wains, we’ve been supplying an extensive line-up of glass and plastic containers for well over six decades for a range of uses, including pharmaceuticals. We take anything from small orders through to bulk trade quantities.

Can’t find what you need? We also supply custom solutions, and can source unusual or special containers where necessary thanks to our extensive network of contacts across the sector. Whatever you requirements, get in touch. Email sales@wains.co.uk or call 01892 52166