by a Guest Author
Quality glassware made with actual glass or even crystal is almost always the more elegant option over plastic, but sometimes you just don’t have a choice. Glass and crystal material, as beautiful as they are, are generally far more expensive than plastic, and a lot less durable. If you’re hosting a major event or party like a graduation celebration or a wedding reception, you can quickly rack up a massive bill on champagne flutes alone. I haven’t even mentioned the virtually inevitable fact that at least a few will break or get lost in the festivities.
Fortunately, there is plastic glassware available on the market that looks and feels very similar to the real thing, but costs a whole ton of a lot less. This isn’t exactly breaking news – I’m sure there have likely been several occasions in your life, where you’ve attended functions where the drinks are served in plastic champagne flutes, or acrylic cocktail glasses. But, did you think anything of it? Did you say, “this free booze just isn’t worth drinking out of a disposable vessel”.
Oh, you did say that? Oh, well then feel free to spend an extra grand or two on the drinkware at your next neighborhood cookout. Me, I’m going with the plastic material because when serving the masses, money has to be saved somewhere.
As mentioned, savings are certainly achieved when using the plastic alternative. Champagne glasses are expensive – even on the cheap side, you’re still looking at around $2.50/pop. Go with the plastic option, and you can easily find 100 for $.25/piece. Generally, as basic economics goes, the more you purchase, the more exponential the savings are reflected.
Say, however, the previous example doesn’t apply to you. You don’t throw major parties, and you certainly aren’t a large-scale event coordinator, so why would you want plastic? To put it simply, plastic glassware allows for more flexibility in both design and resilience. There are tea tumblers manufactured that actually have compartments to brew the tea within the cup, and keep it insulated and warm for hours at a time. Glass can’t do that – at least not for $11.
For special personal occasions, and time alone around the house, sipping a beverage from a real glass has it’s perks. That said, if cost in numbers is a factor, or you’re seeking a quality that can’t be hand blown, you might want to go with the plastic drinking glass.
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