Glass

Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid made primarily from silica (sand), with other minerals added for working temperature and properties. Soda-lime glass is the common everyday type. Borosilicate (Pyrex-style) adds boron oxide for thermal shock resistance.

Transparent, inert, doesn't react with food or drink, handles heat, lasts indefinitely if not broken, endlessly recyclable. The main downsides — weight and breakability — explain why plastic replaced it in so many uses.

Glass, borosilicate, tempered glass, soda-lime glass, Pyrex (brand name, originally borosilicate, now varies by region). "Heat-resistant glass" usually means borosilicate or tempered.

Food storage containers, drinking glasses, baby bottles, bakeware, mason jars, beverage bottles, windows, light fittings, mirrors, and many premium cosmetic containers.

Effectively none. Glass is one of the most inert materials available — it doesn't migrate into food or drink in measurable amounts under normal use. The only exposure routes are physical (broken glass) and from any decorative coatings or paints on the outside.

Glass is broadly recommended as a safer pregnancy-era choice for food storage and drinking. No migration concerns.

No documented concerns.

Glass baby bottles avoid the BPA/BPS concerns historically associated with polycarbonate bottles. The practical concern is breakage — silicone bottle sleeves help. For older kids, stainless steel often works better for portability.

Practical concern only — heavier glassware can be harder to handle. Choice of material here is about ergonomics, not safety.

Glass is one of the most-studied food-contact materials, and the evidence is consistent: minimal migration, considered the safer benchmark against which other materials are compared. Lead crystal glassware is a separate, older concern — not relevant to modern everyday glass.

Negligible. The only realistic risk is physical (cuts from breakage). For chemical exposure: among the lowest of any everyday material.

Glass is the safer alternative for most other materials. For situations where glass isn't practical (kids carrying water bottles), stainless steel is the next-best choice.

Why would you? The only reason to choose against glass is weight or breakability — both practical, not health concerns.

Use glass for reheating leftovers. Don't microwave food in plastic — move it to a glass container first. That single behaviour change covers one of the highest-impact exposure routes for most households.

Glass is the gold standard. Use it generously for food storage, drinking, and reheating. The only reasons to choose otherwise are practical — weight, breakability, or specific use cases where stainless steel is more functional.

FDA food-contact materials, EU food-contact framework. Glass is rarely the subject of safety controversy, so detailed research is limited — that's a good sign.