Plastic Water Bottles vs Sustainable Water Bottles
Plastic water bottles or Sustainable water bottles. Which is better?
GUIDES AND TIPS
7/14/20238 min read
Plastic water bottles have been and still are a popular choice for drinking on the go, but is it the right choice for you and the environment? The litterature has been showing more evidence towards environmental and health concerns with their production, consumption and disposal. We'll deepdive into this, and show alternatives to the conventional plastic water bottles, such as sustainable water bottles, and how they compare to the conventional ones.
Table of contents:
Plastic water bottles:
Pros and Cons
Sustainable water bottles:
Pros and Cons
Summary
Environmental Challenges:
When plastic water bottles are produced it involves the extraction of fossil fuels, mostly petroleum, which is a contributor to resource depletion and environmental degradation. Moreover, the process releases GHG emissions, which ultimately leads to increased global warming, which leads to other consequenses, read more here.
Plastic Waste and Pollution:
Plastic bottles significantly contribute to plastic waste and pollution. These bottles may take hundreds of years to decompose and often end up in landfills or the natural environment. Their accumulation poses threats to terrestrial and marine ecosystems, impacting wildlife and habitats. You've probably seen pictures of the turtle or fish surrounded by plastic in their natural habitats.
Marine Pollution: When plastic bottles enter water bodies, they contribute to marine pollution. Over time, they break down into microplastics and are ingested by marine organisms, damaging marine life and disrupting the ecosystem. It is estimated, that if plastic production doesn't reduce and isn't recycled with higher rates, than in 2050 is is estimated that there will be more plastic in the oceans, than fish.
Disruption of Ecosystems: The environmental impact of plastic bottles extends beyond pollution. Habitat destruction and ecosystem disturbance occur during the extraction of fossil fuels for plastic production. Improper disposal of plastic bottles can contaminate soil and water, affecting both plant and animal life.
Health concerns:
Some types of plastic water bottles may include chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and pthatalates. Such chemicals are related to hormone disruption and potential health effects, especially if exposed frequently over time.
Microplastic Ingestion:
With time plastic bottles degrade into smaller fractions also known as microplastics. Drinking from a plastic water bottles, certainly, increases the chances of consuming microplastic, which researchers are figuring out the long term health effects. A study, has shown that people who usually drink from plastic water bottles, ingest up to 5 grams of microplastic per week (equivalent to a credit card).
GHG Emissions:
As earlier mentioned, much of the plastic water bottles (single use),are made from fossil fuels such as petroleum. Research reveals that plastic bottle production alone emits approximately 2 billion tons of CO2 annually, which is partly due to its highly energy required production, contributing to increased levels of global warming.
Recycling challenges:
Recycling plastic water bottles has many challenges, such as low rates of recycling, contamination problems etc. At times, the recycling process can lead to lower quality recycled plastic, which ultimately limits applications. However, recycled plastic can be used in other products with high quality, we've just assesed it's not the best choice for water bottles.
Non durable:
Plastic water bottles are usually only for single use, or for the most part a few times, which you've probably experienced when it starts to smell bad. This is partly due to a reaction of salts/minerals with the plastic bottle. Moreover, many plastic water bottles are shaped with spirals from the inside making, and complicated shaped that make it very difficult to clean after each usage.
Excessive water consumption:
During the production of just one plastic water bottle, it is estimated that it requires about 1.4 gallons or 5.3 liters of water to produce a single use water bottle. Considering the amount of plastic bottles produced (more than 400 billion globally), there is a massive water consumption in the production.
Practical use and price:
Why are plastic water bottles still being purchased if there are so many cons involved? One reason could be changing behaviour of consumers, usually doesn't change one to the other. It usually takes time to change those habits. Another reason is the fact that production of plastic water bottles is gross, 600 billion bottles of plastic was produced annually in 2021, and although it has fallen a bit, the number is still very large. Many supermarkets still sell plastic water bottles, so it becomes more convenient for the consumer because it is in front of them and easily accesible. In addition, plastic water bottles are very light, making them practical to carry on the go, which makes them attractive. Prices of plastic water bottles vary depeneding on which country you live in, however plastic water bottles are usually very cheap, not more than a couple dollars on average.
Sustainable water bottles are usually not produced with plastic, which helps in reducing the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and ocean. As earlier mentioned the production of plastic bottles are still very massive, however with sustainable water bottles less plastic water bottles are and will eventually be produced. Sustainable water bottles are usually made from materials such as recycled glass, stainless steel, aluminium etc, which help to reduce their environmental impact.
Lower Carbon Footprint:
Sustainable water bottles contribute to reducing the carbon footprint or CO2 emissions, which is when considering the overall life cycle of plastic of single use. Typically in the production process when the material is recycled the overall energy consumption are reduced, making it more efficient and environmental friendly.
Additionally, the durability of eco-friendly bottles allows for repeated use, eliminating the need for constant replacements and reducing overall waste generation.
Reuse and Recycle:
In contrast to single use plastic water bottles, which have a low recycling rate and often ends up in landfills, sustainable water bottles can be reused or recycled many times. This is great, since it helps preserve natural resources, minimize waste and reduced energy consumption.
Conservation of Water Resources:
The production of plastic bottles requires significant amounts of water, both for manufacturing and filling processes, which we've previously stated above. Eco-friendly bottles, on the other hand, often prioritize water conservation. For instance, stainless steel bottles do not require water-intensive production methods, while reusable glass bottles minimize the need for constant water replenishment. It estimated that by choosing an sustainable water bottle, one person saves 156 plastic bottles per year, which would be equivalent to saving roughly 220 gallons of water or 830 liters of water. That's just one person, imagine a 1000 people, or 10 000 people, it is really possible to make a great difference just by opting for a sustainable water bottle.
Health and Safety Benefits:
Eco-friendly bottles prioritize the use of non-toxic materials, ensuring the absence of harmful chemicals such as BPA (Bisphenol A) and phthalates, which as mentioned earlier are common in water bottles. In this regards, you can avoid potential exposure to these chemicals and safeguard your well-being.
Enhanced Taste and Odor Retention:
Many eco-friendly or sustainable bottles, particularly those made of glass or stainless steel, offer superior taste and odor retention compared to plastic bottles. As mentioned above, plastic bottles can sometimes impart an unpleasant taste or odor to the contents, affecting the overall drinking experience. Eco-friendly options, with their inert and non-reactive properties, help preserve the original taste and freshness of beverages. In addition, since the bottles are usually shaped very simple it makes more practical to clean after usage, which would otherwise induce odors, commonly seen in plastic bottles.
Keep it cold or Keep it warm:
Unlike plastic water bottles, sustainable water bottles can help keep the water or liquid remain at a certain temperature for many hours. A cold drink will stay cold due to the insulation of many if not all sustainable water bottles, and on the contrary a hot drink can remain hot for many hours as well. This is not the case with a plastic water bottles, a good example is when someone holds a cold plastic water bottle, due to the poor insulation, the body temperature of the hand will affect the surface of the bottle, and change the inner temperature of the bottle making the liquid warm. Other factors are also the environment, which again, a sustainable water bottle the temperature of the water/liquid can remain the same without being affected for up 24 hours.
Practical uses:
In relation to the above, all this makes it great for practical uses escpecially for hiking, sports activities, travels etc. Although they are on average a bit heavier than plastic bottles, having a desired temperature for the water/liquid as one wishes, really makes it practical.
Durability:
A great benefit when choosing a sustainable water bottle is the durability of the product, unlike the plastic one, this one doesn't have to be changed every day/week/month. Moreover, most of these bottles are very dense and solid, therefore they don't bend or break when putting them in a backpack, training back, etc, unlike plastic bottles.
In that sense, you can use your sustainable water for many years, since it's a great long term investement, which saves money and time even though the prices are higher at purchase.
To summarize both the plastic water bottles vs the sustainable water bottle, here are the pros and cons for each:
Plastic water bottles:
Pros:
Practical use, very light
Cheap
Cons:
Bad for the environment, such as eco systems, marine line and oceans
Exessive water consumption
Increased carbon foot print and CO2 emissions
Lead to global warming
Mostly for single use only
Non durable
Will smell bad after a few times
Often times include harmful chemicals such as BPA and phtalates
Unhealthy for you and animals
Ingestion of microplastic
Contribution to production of more virgin plastic
Sustainable water bottles:
Pros:
Help to preserve the environment
Eco friendly
Usually made from recycled material
Reduces carbon footprint and CO2 emissions
Preserves and saves water consumption
Reduce waste in the oceans, ecosystems etc
Durability for years
Long term investment
Temperature insulation
Better odor
Easier to clean
Cons:
Higher prices at purchase than a plastic water bottle
A great example of one such bottle is the ocean bottle. They are very eco consious, have high quality bottles and even ship internationally.
Summary:
Hopefully it has become more clear which one is better, when you consider what's best for the planet overall, and your health, the choice is the sustainable water bottle. You'll be healther, feel better, be eco conscious, save money and time. Next time you want to buy a bottle, you can make a much more informative decision that benefits you and the planet. If you're interested, in another article we've reviewed the best sustainable water bottles
Sources:
Why are Disposable Water Bottles Harmful to the Environment?", officeh2o.com, Unknown, https://www.officeh2o.com/2020/02/27/why-are-disposable-water-bottles-harmful-to-the-environment/,
holrmagazine.com - https://holrmagazine.com/reasons-why-buying-a-reusable-water-bottle-is-better-for-the-environment/
"How to Stay Fit, Stylish, and Sustainable - A guide to eco friendly ac - Clear Givings Market", https://cleargivingsmarket.com/blogs/the-eco-warrior/ways-to-find-out-how-to-stay-fit-stylish-and-sustainable,
"Public and Environmental Health Effects of Plastic Wastes Disposal: A Review" - https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijtra/international-journal-of-toxicology-and-risk-assessment-ijtra-5-021.php?jid=ijtra
"What is rPET and Why is it Important to Sustainability? - ESG - https://www.esgthereport.com/what-is-rpet-and-why-is-it-important-to-sustainability/
https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/clean-energy-101/average-american-carbon-footprint
Sciencing - https://sciencing.com/carbon-footprint-plastic-bottle-12307187.html,
trvstworld.com - https://www.trvst.world/waste-recycling/plastic-pollution/8-benefits-of-eco-friendly-plastic/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/humans-consume-equivalent-credit-card-worth-plastic-week/story?id=63687144
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/16/world/plastic-water-bottles-un-report-climate/index.html
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