Roughly 80% of the world’s plastic bottles end up in landfill, and in the UK alone, nearly 16 million plastic bottles aren’t being recycled each year! By using a reusable water bottle, the average Brit could save 94.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, as well as saving money in the long run. Read our previous blog post on why we love reusable water bottles and how to care for them here.
However, it is still important to be mindful of our consumption of sustainable products. Did you know, the average American person owns 7 different reusable bottles? Some online videos even show users filling their reusables with plastic-bottled water! With rising social media trends, brands such as Stanley and Owala are just the latest in the craze of having the trendiest new bottle. “Exclusive” colourways and patterns are also on the rise, which can encourage overconsumption from fear of missing out. But do we really need to own 7 different styles of water bottle?
With proper care, a reusable bottle can last us up to 10 years. Studies show that insulated stainless steel bottles would need to be used between 30-90 times to “break-even” with energy and material use of a plastic bottle. Consider having just 2 – maybe one cold, one hot – to get the most use out of yours.
Despite the dangers of over-consumerism, reusable bottles are still a great way to reduce our consumption of plastics, when done the right way. This is not only important for our nature and wildlife, but human health as well. According to research from Kyushu University, there are currently twenty-four trillion pieces of microplastics in the ocean alone, the equivalent of 30 billion 500ml water bottles. By using a reusable bottle, you could prevent an average of 156 of these from reaching the oceans each year!