Tabletop · Tool
Glass or plastic — priced per year.
Material, count, and wash cycles in — the annual replacement cost out, using G.E.T.'s published lifespan and breakage figures.
What it really costs per year
Set glass and a plastic side by side at a Zink showroom before deciding — the good SAN and Tritan genuinely surprise people, and the numbers above are only half the argument.
Email me these numbers
Asked every week.
Is plastic drinkware cheaper than glass in the long run?
Usually decisively. G.E.T.'s published figures: glass programs replace 50 to 150% of their inventory yearly through breakage, while plastic programs replace 10 to 20%. Even where the plastic piece costs more up front, the per-year math typically favors it within the first year.
What's the difference between polycarbonate, SAN, and Tritan?
Per the published guidance: polycarbonate clouds by about 100 wash cycles and can crack by 250, and contains BPA. SAN stays clear to roughly 1,000 washes and is BPA-free but can chip. Tritan is the clearest and most durable, BPA-free and microwavable, at the highest price.
A tool gets you close. A person gets it right.
Every number here is a starting point, not a quote. Your Zink specialist runs these questions for a living — and checking your math costs you nothing.