"Glass is made from naturally abundant materials ?" primarily sand ?" and it won't degrade over time," says Scott Radcliffe, a spokesman for glass-bottle manufacturer Lifefactory [2]. Plus, "glass can last for decades," he says. Unlike plastic, and to a lesser extent metal, glass doesn't alter the flavor or smell of whatever it holds. If you've ever used a stainless steel beverage container, you know that whatever you put in there can sometimes have a bit of a metallic taste. But with glass containers this isn't an issue.