The importance of bottles in our daily lives cannot be overstated. Throughout history, bottles have served different functions including as containers for sauces, water, milk, wine, perfumes, beverages, decorations, and many more. Wouldn’t it be interesting to discover some facts about this container that have come through for us countlessly? You will find 18 interesting and jaw-dropping facts about bottles, we curated in this article.
Unique Historical Facts About Bottles
1. The Ancient Origin of Bottles
The origin or earliest bottles dates back to around 3,500 BC in ancient Mesopotamia. These bottles were typically made from clay and were used to store oils, water, perfumes and wine. The earliest glass bottles were invented around 1500 BC in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Phoenicia. These glass bottles were formed manually through the continuous shaping of molten glass.
2. The History of Roman Glassblowing
The Romans are regarded as the pioneers of glassblowing. Some of the earliest glass bottles were made by the Romans. This technique was invented in the Roman Empire around the 1st century BC. Glassblowing made the mass production of a variety of glass bottles possible hence marking an advancement in glassmaking.
3. The History of the Medieval Wine Bottles
Bottles were first used to hold wine during the medieval period. These wine bottles were typically made from from animal skin or leather because of the high cost of glass until the 17th century when glass bottles became more common due to the advanced glassblowing technique that could produce mass bottles.
4. The Invention of the Champagne Bottle
Did you know that the inventor of the Champagne bottle was Sir Kenelm Digby in the 17th century? It was designed to withstand carbonation pressure. In the same year, Dom Pérignon who was a Benedictine monk began working to improve the design of the bottle to prevent them from exploding.
5. The Oldest Message in a Bottle
Did you know that one of the oldest known messages in a bottle was found in 2018 132 years ago? It was found in 2018 on a beach in Western Australia. The message in the bottle was thrown into the sea by a German ship.
6. The Invention of the Glass-Blowing Machine
Did you know that Mr Ashley invented a semi-autonomous machine which produced 200 bottles per hour? 20 years later in 1904, Michael Owens invented the automatic bottle machine which could produce about 2500 bottles per hour.
7. The History of the Coca-Cola Bottle
The iconic contoured-shaped Coca-Cola bottle was designed in 1915 by the Root Glass Company. The unique design is intended to be recognisable even in the dark or when broken.
8. The Origin of Genie in a Bottle
Did you know that the concept of a genie in a bottle came from Middle Eastern and South Asian folklore? These tales are known as “Thousand and One Nights” or “The Arabian Nights.”
9. The Invention of Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles were first invented in 1894 by American inventor John Wesley Hyatt. It was not until the mid-20th century (around the 1940s) that polyethene terephthalate (PET) bottles were first introduced and became more popular in the 1970s. These PET bottles were considered lightweight compared to glass bottles. They are also recyclable and durable.
10. The Oldest Bottle of Wine
The oldest wine bottle is known as the Speyer wine bottle which dates back to 325 CE and was found in the Roman tomb in Germany sealed containing some liquids. It was discovered in the year 1867
11. The Largest Bottle Collection in the World
Did you know that the largest collection of bottles is held by Ron Werne? He has a collection of over 600,000 different kinds of bottles from different parts of the world across several centuries.
12. The First Water Bottling Plant in the World
The first water bottling plant in the world was the Holy Well Bottling Plant in the United Kingdom in 1622. The selling of bottled water also began in the plant that same year, as it is widely believed.
13. The First Commercially Sold Bottled Water in the US
In 1767, bottled water was first distributed and sold commercially in the United States by Jackson’s Spa in Boston, which was for the water’s supposed health benefits.
14. The invention of Perfume Bottles
The invention of the earliest perfume bottles dates to around 1000 BC in ancient Egypt. These perfume bottles were made from glass, alabaster, gold or ceramic. These perfume bottles were sophisticatedly designed and prized highly.
15. The First Bottle Bill or Container Deposit Law
Did you know that the first “bottle bill” or “deposit law” was passed in Oregon United States, in 1971? They successfully incentivised the return of bottles for recycling, where a small refund is offered for each returned bottle.
16. The Invention of the Milk Bottle
In 1884 in New York, Dr. Thatcher invented the glass milk container. This revolutionised the way milk was consumed and distributed. Initially, the bottles were sealed with wooden plugs but when it seemed unsuccessful, they were replaced by glass stoppers. Before the invention of glass containers, Milk was distributed in large metallic containers hence the invention enhanced convenience and hygiene.
17. The Establishment of the Standard Wine Bottle Size
Did you know that the standard wine bottle size of 750ml (0.75l) was established in 1970? This was done when the major powers in the industry signed an international treaty.
18. Recycling Glass Bottles
Did you know that glass bottles can be endlessly recyclable? They can be recycled 100% without losing purity, which makes them one of the most sustainable packaging containers.