Wines and SpiritsPolycarbonate Pint glasses
Unbreakable Plastic Pint Glasses and rigid Polystrene Reusable Pint Tumblers are now a common feature in pubs and nightclubs up and down the United Kingdom, increasingly so since the smoking ban. As smokers are forced outside to smoke - taking their Pint Glasses with them - so we have seen a rise in the number of "glassings" (sadly the word "Glass" is now a verb in this country "to glass")
As a consequence of this rise in injuries more and more councils, pubs chains and police forces are demanding that unbreakable Plastic Glasses are used on an evening (it seems the availability of 24 hr drinking here hasn"t changed our fighting habits too much)
Funding for such large changes to our drinking vessels has been provided by some local authorities to assist some establishments in the change over, monies one presumes has been saved from a reduction in ambulance call outs and doctors time.
There are two types of Plastic Tumblers which are now becoming commonplace, unbreakable Polycarbonate glasses and Rigid Styrene tumblers.
The Polycarb was used for commercial plane windscreens as planes needed a clear material tougher than glass as the windscreens regularly came into contact with winged animals. Polycarbonate is now most commonly used for Plastic cups and Police riot shields, the material looks just like glass and is lighter in weight than glass.
Unlike Polycarbonate Glasses Rigid Polystyrene glasses will break but not easily so they could not be used as a weapon and are a cheap way of avoiding using glass.