7 Reusable Alternatives To Using A Crappy Plastic Water Bottle That Kills Marine Life
In case you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that plastic water bottles are the devil.
Here are some scary stats:
- Plastic water bottles take 1000 years to biodegrade (let’s be honest with ourselves, that’s just called litter)
- 1 million sea birds & 100,000 marine mammals are killed each year from plastic
- Not all bottles are recycled, only the ones made fully out of PET plastic (polyester), because that’s what recycling companies find easiest, so “plant-based bottles” will often get thrown away
- Only about 31% of water bottles are recycled, likely less
- In the US, there are 2 million tonnes worth of plastic bottles lying in landfills
- 50% of plastic used is only used ONCE, then thrown away. Just think about that for a second. How often do you use a water bottle or candy wrapper and then just chuck it?
If you want to do a deep dive into the topic and learn some more interesting (and by that I mean scary) info about plastic water bottles, read this article.
What you can do to avoid plastic water bottles (and get others to do the same):
- Buy a reusable stainless steel water bottle (see below for some great examples!)
- Take it with you everywhere. This may seem a bit obvious but it really needs to become a habit, because once you’re more aware you’ll realize how often you end up somewhere without it! Buy two if you need to.
- Support beach cleanups. Photograph the garbage you collect and showcase it on social media to raise awareness
- Recycle any plastic you find (obviously recycling isn’t the best option, reducing is better, but we still need to do it!)
- Educate others on the crappy stats of plastic usage
- Encourage your work to ban plastic water bottles (and bags, while you’re at it)
- Encourage your kids’ schools to ban plastic water bottles and require that students bring their own
- Tell your friends and family to do their part. Remind them how important it is to you (put on that guilt trip if you have to 😉
Here are some great reusable water bottles you can get:
1. S’well Stainless Steel Water Bottle
For all of us females who want a pretty water bottle, this ones for you. Plus it can keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours, and hot drinks hot for 12. Sweet. Obviously BPA-free and 18/8 stainless steel (standard for all of the bottles seen below).
2. Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle
This one comes with a plastic lid, but it’s really well insulated. The loop on the cap can easily be clipped onto backpacks for convenient travel.
3. Camelbak Quick Stow Hydration Pack
This one rolls up so it can become super compact. It’s also safe to put on the top rack of your dishwasher.
For the outdoorsy type. This one is sturdy and hardy. I mean, it’s called YETI after all…
5. Hydro Flask
This one has a wide mouth, but the company offers different lid options, so you can customize quite a bit. The water bottle also keeps things hot for 12 hours and cold for 24.
This one has an award winning filter built into it. It removes protozoa and bacteria from lakes and streams, so you can get clean water while hiking. Sounds pretty hard core, in a good way.
This is another one that’s obviously made from plastic, it’s super hardy and lasts forever. So if you really want a simple bottle you can see-through, this might be your bet. It’s also dishwasher safe.
What’s your favourite water bottle?
Have any other suggestions for avoiding plastic bottles? Let us know!