Which bottle material should I choose?

The two main type of material are

Glass
Plastic

Materials - Glass

Color

Clear: Clear glass allows the contents to be viewed. This is particularly useful when contents are being evaluated for change over extended periods of time.

Amber: Amber glass provides protection for light sensitive materials.

Glass Type

"180" Glass This glass is an exceptionally clear borosilicate glass of high chemical durability, which has been especially formulated for the lowest background count while still at a reasonable cost. Great care has been taken to select only those ingredients for the batch that would not cause unwanted background count or color. Potassium as a separate element has been excluded from the batch to minimize K40. Special controls assure high quality and batch to batch uniformity. This glass is only available as a tubing vial.

"200" Glass, also referred to as "Wheaton 33Ž" low extractable borosilicate glass, is a clear borosilicate glass with exceptional thermal endurance that meets the requirements for both USP and ASTM Type I, Class A, borosilicate glass. Most of our laboratory products are made from Wheaton 33. This glass meets all sterilization requirements.

"300" Glass is a chemically resistant clear borosilicate glass that meets all of the requirements for Type I glass as specified in the current revision of the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

"320" Glass is a similar composition to "300" except amber color for light sensitive applications. Meets UV light protection limits as specified in the current revision of the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

"400" Glass is a clear borosilicate glass that falls well within the limits for Type I chemically resistance borosilicate glass, as specified in the current revision of the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

"500" Glass is similar to the "400" formulation except amber color for light sensitive applications. Meets UV light protection limits as specified in the current revision of the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

"800" Glass is a superior soda-lime clear glass that meets requirements for Type III soda lime glass as specified in the current Revision of the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

"900" Glass is similar in formulation to "800" except amber color for light sensitive applications. Meets UV light protection limits as specified in the current revision of the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

Materials - Plastic

Polyolefins The class of polyolefins are non-toxic, non-contaminating, flexible to rigid and shatter resistant. They resist mild chemical exposure short term and are good moisture barriers and poor gas barriers.

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Very flexible, natural milky color, translucent with high impact strength. Excellent for mild and strong buffers, good chemical resistance. Good water vapor and alcohol barrier properties. Poor gas barrier, Sterilizable with EtO or gamma radiation. Good stress crack and impact resistance. SPI recycling rating number (4).
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Flexible but more rigid than LDPE. Natural color is milky white, semi-translucent depending on density. Good impact strength and stress crack resistance. Good chemical resistance. Good vapor barrier but poor gas barrier. Sterilizable via EtO or gamma radiation. SPI recycling rating number - (2).
Polypropylene (PP). Rigid, solid, durable in container or cap forms. Opaque, natural grayish yellow in natural form. Excellent stress crack and impact resistance. Excellent moisture barrier, good oil and alcohol barrier, poor gas barrier properties. Good chemical resistance. Sterilizable with EtO or autoclaving. SPI recycling rating - (5).
Polystyrene (PS). PS is a transparent, rigid and glasslike polymer. Good resistance to inorganic chemicals. Light and heat stable, biologically inert and non-toxic. Good impact and stress crack resistance, poor barrier properties. EtO or Gamma sterilizable. SPI recycling rating - (6).
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Flexible to rigid. Good for coatings; fair water and good oxygen barrier. Transparent to yellowish color in natural state. Good chemical resistance. Sterilizable by EtO. Good impact and some stress crack resistance. Poor recycling due to chloride residues. SPI recycling code number - (3).
Polycarbonate (PC). Rigid and strong, Excellent clarity. Poor barrier properties. SPI recycling code number - (7).

Polyesters

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Semi-rigid to rigid depending on wall thickness. Natural color - clear and transparent. Good alcohol and solvent barrier; good gas and fair moisture barrier. Good to fair chemical barrier; not good for strong acids or bases. Good moldability. Sterilizable through EtO and gamma radiation. Good stress crack and impact at room temperature and above. SPI recycling rating - (1).
Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT). Good chemical resistance, clear color, resistant to water, weak acids and bases at room temperature. Can be sterilized by EtO and autoclaving, at temperatures up to 180°C. SPI recycling code number - (1).

Source: Wheaton Science Products.