Glass sneeze screens Vs plastic sneeze screens

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2099

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We’ve seen a lot of plastic sneeze screens and partition screens going up in our public spaces and places of work—and while plastic gets the job done, it falls short of glass. Glass offers more, and is better for the planet.

COVID has seen many changes in our public spaces and workplaces, and items like protective screens, partitions or “sneeze-screens” are everywhere. These screens are undeniably effective at helping to stop the spread of the virus, but the overuse of plastic in creating these screens has us puzzled.

Plastic is cheaper, less durable, harder to clean and worse for the environment. If you’re thinking of ordering some new sneeze or partition screens, we strongly believe glass offers much more, and we’ll explain why.

Ease of cleaning

With a good glass cleaner, a microfiber cloth and some old newspaper (or other paper) glass can come out as new as the day it was fired. No sight of fingerprints, stains or dirt. Glass also resists scratching and clouding with age much easier.

Plastic attracts dust due to its naturally creating a static charge. Dust particles get attracted and often stick to the plastic surface. And you’ll find it much harder to get streak-free results with your cleaning.

An upmarket finish

There’s no beating around the bush if you want your partition screen to show a higher quality, glass does just that. While we know there are some great plastic options out there, nothing stands or reflects quite like glass.

Matched with specific interior design, or architectural choices, glass is a clearcut winner. While we know these screens are unlikely to become a permanent fixture, why not opt for the extra standard while you have to? And also, it’s much easier to dispose of or repurpose, but more on that later.

Still portable

When you’re dealing with larger sheets, plastic (by some distance) offers ease of transport and portability. But if you’re looking for a small screen for a till point or a partition screen for a salon, glass can easily be fitted with legs that allow it to be moved around.

Just because it’s glass doesn’t mean it has to be fixed.

Better durability

Ignoring major calamity glass is far more durable than plastic—especially if you have it toughened. Glass can far better stand the test of time without discolouration or deforming.

Glass is a solid form of protection.

More recycling-friendly

There’s a large possibility that one COVID is in our rearview mirrors, a lot of plastic partition and sneeze screens are going to find themselves in a landfill. While we don’t doubt there will be efforts to recycle as much as possible, plastic can only be downcycled. And if the plastic is not easily recyclable, it will simply be tossed in a landfill.

What we mean by “downcycling” is that plastics can only be melted down to create lower-quality plastics. While there are companies out there doing exciting things with old plastic, a lot of it ends up as a lower quality item.

We’re also recycling far less plastic as a country than we are glass. We’re recycling 45% of our plastics, in comparison to 50% of our glass. And when you consider that we’re creating far more plastic than we are glass, you don’t have to be a genius to work out how much more efficiently we’re dealing with glass.

Also, it takes less energy to recycle glass than it does to make new glass from raw materials. So while plastic can only be downcycled, your glass sneeze or partition screen could be melted down and used again at the same quality.

Have we convinced you yet?

We’re not Osborn Plastic, so we know this has been a rather one-sided argument, but we feel that the facts speak for themselves. If you’re looking for a glass sneeze screen, do take a look at ours, they’re made to measure. Any other questions, do get in contact.

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