THE traditional pint glass could soon become a thing of the past in Warwickshire if a new shatterproof plastic design from the Home Office is given the go-ahead.
The Home Office has asked the Design Council to create a new kind of glass
in an attempt to stop them being used as weapons.
Figures showed 5,500 people are attacked with glasses and bottles every year in England and
Wales.
The project is part of the Home Office’s “Safe. Sensible. Social.” campaign.
The appointed designers of the new glasses, Design Bridge, said their challenge was to reduce the opportunity for the vessel to be used as a weapon, while also providing opportunities for enhanced consumer appeal and brand image.
The new range is set to be unveiled in December and more than one solution
will be developed, which could then be taken up by pubs and clubs in Warwickshire.
But there has been a mixed reaction to the proposed
designs.
Thirty-four-year-old Jake Hutchinson has worked in a Leamington bar for two years.
He said: “I can see the safety benefits but it just seems a shame. Drinking from plastic glasses will ruin the whole experience of going out for a pint. It could really put people off, which isn’t what the industry needs.
“If pubs are forced to have plastic glasses, I think it says a lot about the society we live in. People should be able to go to a pub and have a drink from a normal glass without the fear of being
attacked.”
The British Beer and Pub Association also said pub-goers don’t like drinking from plastic containers and it does not want to see the new plastic glass designs made compulsory in
pubs.
Mark Hastings, director of communications at the association, said: “A glass is a better container for the quality of the beer. You can pick up a taint of plastic from a plastic container.”
He added that in real terms plastic containers were expensive – they had a limited shelf life, scratched easily and were damaged when put in dishwashers.
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