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Alternatives to plastic bottles

alternatives to plastic bottles

Well, this one is probably one of my favorites. I am talking about reusable water bottles. Since zero waste is trending worldwide, it has become more difficult to pick the right ethical Company.

Everyone wants to cash in on the new zero waste trend. While there is nothing wrong with making a living, making a living at the cost of our health and the health of the planet is not right, though.

What makes a good reusable bottle?

Made from a material that is easily recyclable and doesn’t require a huge amount of resources to make the product.

In my opinion, stainless steel bottles are the best ones to go for.

  • the don’t leak endocrine-disrupting chemicals in your beverage
  • they are easy to clean.
  • the surface of plastic allows for bacteria to grow and thrive
  • Yes, mold can happen on any material that is in contact with water for a long period of time
  • Health professionals recommend daily cleaning of your reusable bottle.
  • The world’s first self-cleaning bottle is the Larq Bottle, perhaps the best alternative to a plastic bottle?
alternatives to plastic bottles

The Problem

  1. A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute – which breaks down to 20,000 plastic bottles a second – and that number will jump another 20% by 2021.
  2. Bottled water is almost 2,000 times more energy-intensive to produce than tap water.
  3. Plastic bottles can take 450 years or more to break into microplastic.
  4. Researchers recently tested bottled water for microplastic particles and found that 93 percent of the water tested contained some sort of microplastic, including polypropylene, polystyrene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
  5. Tap water is strictly regulated by Health Canada and the provinces and territories, whereas bottled water is not.
  6. It takes three times the water to make the bottle as it does to fill it.
  7. One gallon of bottled water costs approximately 2,000 times more than the cost of a gallon of tap water
  8. The amount of bottled water purchased every week in the U.S. alone could circle the globe five times.
  9. As of 2017, the global bottled water market was worth $198.5 billion, set to reach $300 billion by 2024
  10. Other reasons why to avoid plastic bottles. Studies have found that plastic leaches into the substant it is supposed to protect. Especially when shelf life is extended. We don’t know how long this bottle has been on the shelf. Temperature swings also cause the chemicals to leach.

In short

  • Plastic bottles are not sustainable
  • Some are just glorified tap water
  • Thousands of chemicals found in plastic water bottles
  • Drink tap and save money

The Solution

How do I know which bottle is the right bottle for me and which company can I trust?

Here are my favorite alternatives to plastic bottles, and yes, these companies have the right ethical standards.

Now while most of the time, the Klean Kanteen single wall bottle works just fine for me, if I want to take a warm beverage with me or want to keep an ice tea cold, then I opt-in for the YETI bottle.

I love the simplistic design, and I am a big fan of the big opening. I don’t worry about burning my tongue because I can sense the temperature with my nose before getting too close to the beverage.

If you want to buy a bottle and support a good cause simultaneously, opt-in for the Dopper bottle is a clever design since it has both openings, a small mouth, and a big mouth. They are also part of “The Ocean Clean Up,” so you support a good cause here. And they look pretty slick if you ask me.

alternatives to plastic bottles

The easiest way to jump on the bandwagon is by buying a glass bottle from your supermarket. Since glass is 100% recyclable and it doesn’t lose its value, unlike plastic. Plastic can only be downcycled, from a clear bottle to yarn for clothing or a park bench.

The only downside with a glass bottle is that it can break.

So instead of buying single-use plastic bottles, opt-in for one of the above bottles.

Read this article for more advice on bottles.

To be sure that your tap water is drinkable and not full of contaminants and other substances to purify it. Get a home testing kit from TapScore for absolute peace of mind.

Another option when you go traveling or even when your city water test a bit funky, you can use a filter. Several companies are providing you with such options, but in my opinion, lifestraw has nailed it down. With this system, you can even turn your favorite reusable bottle into a filtered bottle.

Another one that I have is the Geigerrig. Sadly though, if you don’t look after your camel bag or Geigerrig, they all get a bit smelly, and the water can taste weird.

There you go.

Do

If you don’t have a reusable bottle yet, go ahead and invest some money into one that you love and will carry with you wherever you go. No point in buying one that just meets your needs. You have to actually like the bottle so it can become your daily companion.

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10 thoughts on “Alternatives to plastic bottles”

  1. Thank you for pointing all of these issues with plastic water bottles in this article.  I have never understood why people would consciously not use a reusable water bottle.  Using a reusable bottle is exponentially less and safer in my opinion but the most important reason is so that we can live in a sustainable world!

    Reply
  2. I absolutely admire how you break down how you can reuse bottles instead of just littering and throwing the bottles away when it can serve a purpose again; I like how you get the facts behind the message you are trying to carry across to your viewers by including laboratory water tests to prove to the viewers you not thumb-sucking your information and that it was researched. When the viewers have completed the post, they will definitely, at the very least, consider investing in buying a bottle. I just wanted to ask, what would be the best way to encourage people to stop throwing bottles away and littering and just consider reusing them without causing too much of a stir, because many people like to do things their way and they refuse to contribute and decide to be ignorant?

    Reply
    • I hear you Sahkeel, and in a way, this is the reason why I started this blog. To educate people and to show them alternatives. I think once you know the health issues plastic causes it becomes a no-brainer to change over to reusable glass or stainless steel items. But the tricky bit is to get people to listen. Hence why I am attempting the youtube way as well. Perhaps making it a funny song gets someone to change.

      Reply
  3. I definitely agree, we should start using water bottle way more often instead of the plastic we’re currently overusing. I admit, there are times where I’ve used a water bottle, only for me to forget about it :(. BUT, you’ve inspired me to do better :).

    Thank you very much for this article!  

    Reply
    • Yes, nobody is perfect and that’s ok. Your better off getting a drink before you pass out from dehydration, right?

      Reply
  4. I do like the stainless steel bottles and I have one since I can’t be trusted with glass bottles; they wouldn’t last a day with me. I do agree that we need to become more mindful of what we’re buying, especially when it comes to plastic. 

    I do have a water filter at home already and to make it a bit more interesting at times I use SodaStream to make bubbly water. It’s nice and refreshing especially when it’s cooled in summer time.

    My only problem is that I can’t seem to find a good stainless steel bottle in a bigger size. Do you happen to know where I can get one, maybe around 1 liter? 

    Reply
    • Hi Petra, oh yeah I love the SodaStream myself, I just really hope they bring the glass bottle back. You can buy the klean kanteen or the yeti and the hydro flask all in different sizes. I personally use the 800ml yeti and to me its the perfect size. If you go much bigger they don’t fit in your car drink holder anymore. 🙂 I saw my links were messed up. Fixed it. 

      Reply
  5. Ah I can see much clearer now the issues that will be caused by plastic bottle. I personally don’t like to drink from plastic bottle, so I always bring my tumbler everywhere I go. However, your recommendation for other type of bottles like YETI bottle and dopper bottle has intrigued me to buy them as an alternative. I’ll check them, thanks.

    Reply

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