Ever stop to think about how that glass bottle of your favourite indoor plant food or your neem oil came to be? Glass is one of those everyday materials we tend to take for granted—but it’s actually kind of amazing. Not only is it beautiful and super practical, but it’s also one of the most eco-friendly materials out there. Let’s take a quick trip into how glass is made, why it’s used in so many products, and why it’s a superstar when it comes to sustainability.
So, How Is Glass Made?
It all starts with some pretty simple stuff—mostly:
- Sand (yep, just regular silica sand)
- Soda ash (helps it melt more easily)
- Limestone (makes it strong)
- And often, recycled glass is thrown into the mix too!
These ingredients are melted together in a super-hot furnace—think hotter than a volcano, around 1,500°C (2,700°F). Once it’s all gooey and molten, it can be shaped into bottles, jars, windows, or even fancy glassware. After shaping, the glass is slowly cooled down so it doesn’t crack or shatter. And voilà—you’ve got our sustainable Plant Runner product beginnings!
Why We Love Using Glass
We use glass in so many of our products for a bunch of good reasons:
Durability: It resists corrosion and degradation, making it ideal for storage, especially for liquids such as our Indoor Plant food and Neem Oil.
Inert and Non-Toxic: Glass doesn’t leach chemicals, ensuring product purity— perfect for our fertiliser and neem oil products.
Aesthetic Appeal: It just looks good. It also feels good in your hands!
Versatility: From architecture to our Plant Runner packaging, glass can be customized in terms of thickness, color, and shape
Sustainability: Glass is endlessly recyclable. I'll expand on this below though as it’s the number one reason we use it.
The Eco-Friendly Magic of Glass
This is where glass really shines (literally and figuratively). It’s one of the best materials out there when it comes to protecting the planet. Here’s why:
♻️ You Can Recycle It Forever
Glass doesn’t lose quality when it’s recycled, which means it can be melted down and made into new glass over and over again. No shortcuts, no downgrades. Plus, recycling glass uses way less energy than making new glass from scratch.
♻️ You Can Reuse It Again and Again
Glass bottles and jars are tough. With a good wash, they’re good to go for reuse—perfect for refilling with pantry staples, using as vases, or turning into storage containers. Way better than tossing them after one use.
♻️It’s Naturally Sustainable
Glass is made from raw materials that are super abundant in nature. And when you recycle or reuse glass, you're helping cut down on landfill waste and carbon emissions. It's a small change with a big impact.
Why Glass Just Makes Sense
Whether you're sipping from a glass bottle, storing leftovers in a glass container, or lighting up a room with a glass lamp, or feeding your favourite plants with our glass bottles of indoor plant food you're making a smart and sustainable choice. Glass isn’t just a material—it’s part of a more mindful lifestyle. One that’s better for you, and better for the planet.
Amber Glass and Propagation
We've discussed this before, but another great reason we love our amber glass bottles is that it is a super effective propagation vessel for your cuttings. Unlike other, clear glass, amber glass helps protect the new fragile roots from the light giving your new cuttings a better chance at becoming another member of your plant fam. Check out the post below for more.
Final Thoughts
Glass might seem like a basic part of life, but it’s actually kind of a hero. It’s strong, safe, endlessly recyclable, and seriously stylish. So next time you reach for one of our Plant Runner glass bottled products, give it a little mental high-five—you’re choosing a better way forward.
The Plant Runner and our Commitment to 1% for the Planet We are proud members of 1% for the Planet here at Plant Runner. Not only do we donate some of our sales to the future of our Planet, but we also think hard about the sustainable choices in our packaging… Hence we love our glass bottles and hope you do to!
Leave a comment