North Coast Organic has been committed to using sustainable business practices and being good stewards of the environment from the very beginning. We are constantly looking for ways to lessen our carbon footprint and lower our energy usage. That’s why, is this age of seeing plastic packaging used for just about everything, we package our organic apple sauces, juices, ciders and vinegars in glass bottles and jars. Here are just a few reasons why.
Glass can be recycled indefinitely
According to Recycle Nation, plastic can take hundreds of years to disintegrate when sitting in a landfill. As plastic breaks down, it releases toxic chemicals into the environment. This problem can be avoided by recycling plastic instead of sending it to a landfill, but most plastics can be recycled only once or twice and can never be turned back into a plastic bottle. Glass, on the other hand, is 100% recyclable, and there is no limit to the number of times that it can be recycled. Recycled glass can be used to create new glass bottles that end up in store shelves as soon as a month later.
Glass makes up about 5% of landfill garbage in the U.S, while plastic makes up about 19% of landfill garbage. Even worse, most plastics dodge the landfill all together, instead making its way to the world’s oceans and beaches. By one estimate 79 percent of all plastic ever produced is now in a dump, a landfill or out somewhere in the environment, and only 9 percent has been recycled.
Glass can be also be reused if it is washed and sterilized, and turned into a reusable water bottle or even in place of expensive food Tupperware containers. Many people like to reuse glass bottles and jars in place of vases, or with the lids on for coin or knickknack storage. In some cases, glass containers are even returned to retail shops where the product was purchased for a refund, and to be reused. Great Job Straus Family Creamery!
Glass does not change the taste of your food
Glass is inert, so it won’t change the taste of the food that it holds. At North Coast Organic, we know that using glass enables us to deliver a better-tasting product, where you can taste the food, not the packaging. Because we want to offer our customers the freshest apple taste possible, we rely on glass.
Some plastic containers contain BPA, which may be harmful to your health
As we mentioned in an earlier blog post: What is BPA and why is it harmful? Bisphenol A, or BPA, is an industrial chemical that has been used to make some plastics and resins since the 1960s. BPA can be harmful because it is an endocrine system disruptor. The endocrine system includes all of the glands in your body that make hormones, which regulate your growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function. Glass packaging never contains BPA.
So, why are so many foods packaged in plastic?
Is there a down side to using glass? Yes, if you are focused primarily on cost and possible breakage. Because glass is typically heavier than plastic, glass packaging can lead to higher freight costs for store owners.
Based on all of the reasons above, though, we at North Coast Organic package our apple sauces, juices, ciders and vinegars in glass because it is the more environmentally friendly, better-tasting option. If you’d like to find out where to purchase North Coast Organic products, we invite you to check out where they are sold at markets and grocery stores near you.
North Coast Organic apple products are made in Sebastopol, CA from U.S. grown certified organic apples. They contain no added sugars, preservatives, colorings or flavorings.
