A 2025 study by France’s food safety agency ANSES found that many beverages in glass bottles contain far more microplastics than those in plastic bottles or cans—often 5 to 50 times higher. The main source is the plastic-based paint on metal caps used for glass bottles, which sheds tiny particles due to scratches from friction during storage, transport, or handling. Sodas, lemonades, iced teas, and beers in glass averaged around 100 particles per liter, while plastic packaging had much lower levels. Plain water showed a smaller gap, with 4.5 particles per liter in glass versus 1.6 in plastic, and wine had very low contamination overall. This flips the common assumption that glass is cleaner, though glass itself doesn’t leach plastics like PET bottles can. Manufacturers could reduce this by improving cleaning processes or redesigning caps.

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