The caps are made from low density polyethylene (LDPE, #4), which is considered to be one of the safer plastics for contact with food and beverages (see Internet Links: Green Guide, March/April 2004; International Plastics Task Force; Healthy Child Healthy World).

They are made by Vitro, a company with 93 years of experience and the fourth largest glass manufacturer in the world. Most of their products are made in Mexico; however, many are designed at their design centers in New York and Texas. They are a very reputable company and make everything from baby food jars to wine bottles to windshields (see Internet Links section for more information about Vitro). When we decided to sell glass bottles, we looked at availability, cost, and quality.

Our new bottles are better for you, your kids and the environment because they are lightweight, shatterproof and easily recyclable. We use only the best quality clear plastic bottles because they're easier and more efficient to recycle than glass. They're also the most widely recycled beverage container, and they're recycled to make such useful items as polar fleece and fiber-fill for jackets.

Our 3-gallon glass bottle, when filled with water, weighs about 35 pounds, which is about 10 pounds heavier than a full 3-gallon plastic jug and 10 pounds lighter than a full 5-gallon plastic jug. The design of our 3-gallon glass bottle makes it much more manageable than a full 5-gallon plastic jug. If you are concerned that the 3-gallon glass bottle will be too heavy, you may want to purchase several 1-gallon glass jugs instead. They are especially functional for traveling.

This is a safety issue. If a plastic bottle is thrown with the cap off, some or most of the liquid will escape making the bottle lighter and less dangerous.

Plastic caps are not recyclable. The caps are made from a different type of plastic than plastic bottles. Because the bottle and cap are different materials it is not possible to process the materials together. Before recycling the bottles, please remove the lids and throw them in the trash.

According to the American Plastics Council, "Polycarbonate plastics, which are used in some baby bottles and kitchen storage containers, are safe and convenient for the preparation and storage of all types of foods and beverages."

We can order 5-gallon glass bottles for you; however, we highly recommend the 3-gallon bottles. A full 3-gallon glass bottle weighs about 35 pounds, whereas the full 5-gallon glass bottle weighs about 55 pounds. A full 5-gallon plastic jug weighs about 45 pounds and, for many, is difficult to safely lift. For your physical health and safety, we urge you to purchase more 3-gallon bottles rather than fewer 5-gallon bottles.

Our policy is to use glass wherever it is practical. In the other products that are used in the shower, or need to be squeezed, we use plastic. We use PET food grade recyclable plastic, which leaches the least, as far as we are aware. WE are also working with a hemp plastic potential supplier to be the first to implement hemp plastic on a commercial scale in Australia, which will happen in 18-24 months.

Plastic caps are not recyclable. The caps are made from a type of plastic that is not recyclable. Before recycling glass bottles, please remove plastic caps and throw them in the trash. Metal caps are okay, please rinse clean and place in recycling cart.

People generally report that glass provides about 10% better performance than plastic. And there is reason to believe that under windy conditions, glass is preferred since it doesn't flap in the wind and dissipate heat from the cooker. Plastic, however, is often recommended since is much less fragile and easier to transport and works plenty well. One excellent, easily-obtained plastic film is oven cooking bags. These are for sale in grocery stores and cost less than US$1 per bag.

No, caps and tops to glass and plastic containers cannot be recycled at the Recycle Indianapolis locations. You must remove these tops before dropping off your recyclables.

If your office is ready to move beyond paper to recycling other materials, you can apply the concepts in "How to Start an Office Recycling Program." In addition, Fairfax County can provide you additional technical assistance and information about setting up an internal system, arranging for collection, etc. Just ask the Recycle Guy.

The plastic caps and neck rings must be taken off the bottles before you recycle them. Please place caps and rings into your regular trash.

For short term beer contact (under 3 weeks) plastic works well, and has the advantage of being easier to handle and clean. Plastic can be used for both primary and secondary fermentation, as long as the total contact time of the beer with the plastic is three weeks or less. For long term lagering of beer, use a glass carboy, as glass is completely non porous, and has the advantage of giving you a good look at the fermenting beer.

Generally speaking, you do not need to remove the labels from plastic (or glass) bottles. Individual recycling companies sometimes impose stricter limits on what they will accept. Most recycling companies that take plastic bottles in Washington accept them with the labels still on the bottle.

We use a plastic called PET to make our bottles, and we've been working for ages, in conjunction with the bottle makers, to start using bottles that have less impact on the environment. In 2002 we reduced the amount of plastic we use in our bottles by 10%, which was a significant reduction in the amount of plastic we use. Today, we've made even greater strides. In February 2006 we launched a new bottle made from 50% recycled plastic.

We use highly filtered water from the acclaimed Hetch-Hetchy system that contains snow melt from the Sierra Nevada mountains. We use a triple filtration system that includes carbon, ultraviolet and barrier filtration down to 0.5 microns in pore size. Those with compromised immune systems can be assured that this filtration eliminates cryptosporidium cysts. Chloramine and its byproducts are also removed.

Answer: Any round bottle may be used (tall, small diameter; short, large diameter) as long as it is labeled by the manufacturer as a 1 Liter bottle. Square, oval, oblong, rectangular bottles are not allowed. Answer: Most likely, no. Water bottles must be polyethylene (a milky colored fairly soft plastic), most "store" water bottles are polystyrene Answer: Wing pods may be used for carrying the payload.

Glass is easier to sterilize, re-use, and recycle. Glass doesn't breathe like plastic which can impart off-odors. Glass is also more attractive and lets you visually judge the wine's clarity.