30/08/2019

Why you should switch to a reusable water bottle

Every year, over 12.7 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the ocean¹, leading to the prediction that by 2050 they will contain more plastic by weight than fish.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now three times the size of France and home to trillions of pieces of microplastic waste, mainly from fishing nets, plastic bags, bottle caps, single-use plastic water bottles and Styrofoam cups².

In the UK 93 percent of the 38.5 million single-use plastic bottles we use every day end up in landfill, incinerated or in our oceans. Plastic is a polymer and therefore decreases in quality when recycled, meaning that the mere 7 percent of bottles that make it to recycling can only be turned into a material of a lesser quality, such as fibres used for clothing or carpets. This means that a plastic bottle can never be turned into another bottle – one reason why so many end up as waste.

It’s vital that we act now to stop the damage our plastic reliance is having on the environment. By starting with something as simple as carrying a reusable water bottle you are not only committing to making an environmentally friendly choice, but also receiving health and money saving benefits.

Read on for our top five reasons for switching to reusable bottles.

 

1)     Less plastic waste

More people than ever are aware of the problems caused by using planet-damaging single-use plastic waste. Every time a plastic bottle is purchased it adds to the already catastrophic plastic waste crisis, with estimates that by 2050 the total volume of plastic ever produced will reach 34,000 million tonnes —over four times what has been produced so far³.

By switching to a reusable bottle you can save around 150 single-use plastic bottles from use every year and benefit from a sustainable way to hydrate, time and time again. This will lower the amount of plastic bottle waste in landfill, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

2)     Better health

Many plastic bottles are made with BPA, an industrial chemical that makes them hard and shiny. The problem with this is that as temperatures rise, the chemical bonds in plastics break down, transferring potentially toxic chemicals into the water inside.

What’s more, 93 percent of bottled water have been found to contain microplastics. While there has been little research into the impact of microplastics on human health, there are fears that they could be carrying contaminants or release toxic substances into our bodies.

Reusable bottles are better for your health because they’re made from materials such as stainless steel, glass or higher quality, BPA-free plastics. These materials don’t break down in rising temperatures and therefore stop toxic chemicals from transferring into your water. If you refill your reusable bottle with filtered mains-fed water, such as that from our Zip HydroTap or Zip HydroChill ranges, users also benefit from pure tasting water free from contaminants like microplastics to encourage better health and wellbeing.

 

3)     Save money

The average cost of tap water in the UK is 0.1 pence per litre, compared to 65p for a one litre of bottle of water⁴ - making bottled water hundreds of times more expensive than tap. This means that if a family of four is using around 7.5 litres of bottled water per day the cost amounts to a shocking £1,558 per year⁵!

In stark contrast a reusable bottle can be purchased from as little as £2, and, if used regularly, can save you an average of £25,000 across a lifetime⁶.

 

4)     Better for the environment

From manufacture through to disposal, plastic bottled water is unsustainable. Made from non-renewable fossil fuels, the production of a single litre bottle of water produces over 10 balloons full of CO₂⁷, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

What’s more, in the UK alone the production process of bottled water uses enough oil to heat 32,000 homes for a year and produces 45,000 tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere – quite the cost for an unnecessary item⁵!

In comparison, just one stainless steel water bottle is equal to only 50 plastic bottles in manufacturing energy consumption⁸, making it a much more sustainable option.

 

5)     Promotes better hydration

We are all aware of the benefits of hydration but sustainable considerations are key. Reusable bottles can promote better hydration as carrying them with you can encourage you to drink more, refilling with tap water for free whenever they are empty. Some reusable bottles also come with measurements to help you monitor how much you are drinking, keeping you properly hydrated throughout the day!

Be part of a global solution to the plastic waste problem by owning a reusable water bottle. It only takes the purchase of one bottle to stay hydrated, with every refill sparing the planet 80 grams of unnecessary carbon dioxide pollution. Just one reusable bottle, regularly refilled at a mains-fed filtered water station, can prevent potentially hundreds of single-use plastic water bottles from ending up in landfills and oceans around the world.

Let’s start together today. View our mains-fed filtered water Zip HydroTap and Zip HydroChill product ranges for a great tasting and sustainable way to hydrate, over and over again.

[1] https://ourblueplanet.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=why-do-marine-animals-eat-plastic
[2] https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
[3] https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/2018/04/02/in-our-opinion-fueling-a-fantasy/
[4] https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngov/documents/s61791/06a%20Appendix%201.pdf
[5] http://jerrybottle.com/price-of-plastic-water-bottles/
[6] http://www.tapwater.org/faqs
[7] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/feb/10/water.foodanddrink
[8] https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/promo-university/are-water-bottles-bad-for-the-environment.htm