Plastic has long been the most used material for storing and carrying foods, beverages, and water. It’s popular because of its lightweight, easy to use and carry.
However, plastic is not as environmentally beneficial. Some plastic bottles and products have harmful chemicals like phthalates and BPA. They can cause hormonal imbalances and other health issues like neurological diseases, obesity, cancer, and infertility.
It’s recyclable and useable, yet it has a huge environmental impact. Plastics can take up to 1000 years to fully degrade, posing a significant risk to our environment and health. More so if you are drinking filtered water to be safe and you are storing it in plastic bottles, you are consuming harmful chemicals anyway. This offers a strong justification to find alternatives to Plastic Water Bottles and exploring potentially more environmentally friendly alternatives. Such as the ones listed below, could be beneficial.
Alternatives to plastic water bottles
💧Stainless Steel Bottles with Insulation
Insulated stainless steel bottles are known for keeping drinks hot or cold for long periods. These bottles come in various sizes and styles, making them suitable for everyone’s daily water consumption requirements.
By minimizing the number of water bottles that end up in landfills, reusable water bottles serve to save the environment. Because stainless steel bottles are free of harmful substances like phthalate and BPA, which are found in plastic containers.
💧Bottles made of glass
Glass bottles are widely used nowadays. Glass bottles come in various sizes and capacities. However, the ideal sizes vary from 200 milliliters to 1.5 liters.
Glass bottles have been used to store cosmetics, preservatives, food, sauces, soda, water, and liquor for many years. Classic blow-molding and glass-blowing techniques are used to make glass bottles. They’re healthy and environmentally friendly. Because they don’t include chemicals like Bisphenol-A, which is ubiquitous in plastics, keeping water in these bottles won’t impact the smell or flavor.
💧PET or PETE Reusable Plastic Bottle
PET bottle is considered to be safe for reusing as per FDA. Polyethylene terephthalate or PET doesn’t contain any of the harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates. But there is a guideline you need to follow if you are reusing PET bottles.
I am saying so because PET contain little bit of antimony and aldehyde. It may mix with your water or any form of liquid if the bottle is exposed to hit. Even if it is exposed to for significant amount of time. If you decide to use PET plastic bottle, you need to be very aware about that.
💧Bottles made of aluminum
Aluminum bottles are used in various industries and have a wide range of applications. One of these uses is in the packaging of beverages such as tea, soda, and beer. So, it is already one of the tested alternatives to plastic water bottles.
An epoxy or enamel covering is applied to aluminum bottles to improve usage and longevity. Because aluminum is completely recyclable, aluminum bottles can be recycled multiple times. They are available in various designs, profiles, combinations, and styles. Some bottles feature industry-standard features that make using caps and closures simple.
In addition to lug finishes, crown caps, threads with plastic sleeves, and constant thread finishes, aluminum bottles are available in several standard finishes. Depending on your preferences, you can acquire an aluminum container in any shape or design. These bottles are more upfront, but they are inexpensive to maintain.
💧Ceramic bottles
Ceramic isn’t quite new, but it’s not as common as it once was. With its robustness and capacity to keep colder for longer, this is an age-old, sustainable, and environment-friendly style of bottle that performs similarly to glass. On the other hand, Ceramic containers are heavier to transport and might be delicate.
However, thanks to recent technological advancements, they aren’t as cumbersome as they once were. They typically include covers that reinforce them so they don’t shatter.
💧Paper Bottles
This new trend of packaged beverages (such as wine tetra packs or paper coconut water bottles) has developed a niche industry. It has a modest part of the market, but as things become more popular, there may be more on the shelves. They have a short lifespan because they are made of paper, however, they are 100% recyclable.
What is the cheap alternative to plastic bottles
You can go for reusable stainless, paper, or glass bottles as affordable options for storing water. Though Aluminum water bottles are more expensive up front, they will save you a lot of money in the long run. Because the bottles are long-lasting and require little to no maintenance, you won’t have to spend as much money to keep them in good condition.
What are the biodegradable alternatives to plastic bottles
Paper bottles can be the best single-use alternative to plastic bottles. Plant-based polymers, often known as bioplastics, are gaining popularity due to their environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling capabilities. Corn, mushroom root, molasses (a by-product of sugarcane production), seaweed, barley, and wheat are species of plants that can be utilized to make bioplastics.
Many of these bioplastics are highly biodegradable, making them appealing to consumers. They are frequently less expensive to produce and have a lesser environmental impact throughout the manufacturing process.
Conclusion
While there is no perfect replacement for the accessibility and affordability of plastics, both the reusable and one-time-use industries are constantly improving.
The most environmentally beneficial solution would most likely be a readily biodegradable plastic that could be manufactured using existing techniques with a lower carbon footprint. This would provide all of the benefits of a disposable product without the negative environmental consequences.
