What Are the Alternatives to Plastic Water Bottles?

With plastic pollution an increasingly hot potato in environmental and political circles, many eco-conscious consumers have been purchasing reusable water bottles to store their H2O. While this is undoubtedly great news for Mother Earth, recent research has indicated that drinking water from plastic bottles might not be completely safe, while reusing them could be even worse for your health.

As such, those who are serious about both their wellbeing and the wider environment have been looking for alternatives to plastic receptacles for carrying water with them. Fortunately, there are now a plethora of viable options available. We explore some of the most common and ingenious below.

Glass bottles

Long before the plastic revolution, glass was used to store water, milk, beer and just about any other beverage you can think of. Infinitely recyclable, it’s strong, clean and durable, though it is prone to shattering if subjected to impact or extreme temperatures. However, there is no chance of it leaching harmful toxins or forever chemicals into the water it carries.

Cardboard cartons

In recent years, it’s become increasingly common to see tetrahedron packages of water, coconut water, iced coffee and other beverages dominate the supermarket shelves. This type of receptacle carries the advantage of being 100% recyclable, though many brands do have a plastic lid which must be disposed of separately so as not to contaminate the batch.

Stainless steel bottles

An excellent choice for a reusable water bottle, stainless steel vessels are slightly heavier than some of the other options mentioned here. However, that shouldn’t impact upon their portability and means they are likely to withstand general wear and tear for longer. What’s more, the material has excellent resilience and does not degrade over time, so you can keep using them again and again.

Aluminium cans

Water? In a can? Yes, you heard right. Aluminium is another metal which does not lose its properties over time, so it can be recycled ad infinitum. Cans made entirely from aluminium are available as a single-use, recyclable option, while there are others with a plastic cap so that the receptacle can be used and taken on the road more than once. Plus, their aesthetic qualities are being touted on social media by the influencer community right now, too.

Plant-based bottles

If it looks like plastic and behaves like plastic, it probably is plastic – but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. In recent years, plant-based alternatives to plastic have sprung up made from all manner of organic matter, such as maize, sugarcane or hemp. Because these materials are biodegradable, they will decompose within mere days. That’s much preferable to the half a millennium which some plastics take to break down in the environment!