The tide has finally turned on plastic water bottles. Gone are the days when you could walk into the office or the gym carrying a plastic water bottle without attracting looks of disdain. And quite right too. The environmental cost of plastic has hit home and mineral water retailers better take note. They somehow need to adapt when customers walk away, or they die. So, what’s the alternative?
Naturally, celebs are leading the pack with everyone from Reece to Meghan now toting a non-plastic water bottle. Here’s our top 6 water bottles:
ALOR Fill & Go
We loved this stylish water bottle. It’s just the right size with the ultimate and chic option of a personal monogram and coming in a variety of colours an styles; making it the perfect choice for any eco-conscious friend with style.
ALOR's ethos is brilliantly simple. High quality and high performing stylish bottles that actually make you want to stop using single use plastic. Their sleek lines and classic colours have created a timeless product to use all day and every day, from the boardroom to the gym and everywhere in-between.
ALOR Bottles look sleek and stylish but due to the advanced double wall vacuum technology, ALOR promise to keep water cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours.
This bottle is also superbly packaged in a stylish cylinder box and velveteen pouch. This one’s a winner for us and we’d definitely be purchasing more for friends and family!
TO BUY: Visit https://alorstore.com. Prices start at £15.00 for a 350ml bottle.
Vayalife Drynk
This is another water bottle that packed a punch in the style and usability stakes. The Vayalife Drynk looks super stylish and even comes with two spare cups, so that you don’t necessarily need to slurp your drink from the bottle. That’s because these tumblers have two lids; one for gulpers and the other for sippers.
These are stainless steel bottles that are great for storing cool, fresh juices and smoothies without hunting for a fridge to keep them cold for up to 6 hours. They also keep drinks hot for up to six hours if you put coffee and tea in them.
The bottles boast leak proof lids, ensuring there will be zero spillage when making your journeys. Unlike traditional flasks, they are lightweight and can easily fit in a purse or bag. They come in array of colours and styles, from camo to black.
TO BUY: https://vayalife.com/gb-en/water-bottle. Prices start at £26.00 for a 350ml.
Kambukka
Kambukka, launched its range of 74 stylish and smart water and thermal bottles into the UK market this June. The collection encompasses thermal options, water bottles and includes a dedicated kids line. Designed to be stylish, but with functionality at the core of the range, all products are 100% leak-proof and sport Kambukka’s universal lids which are all interchangeable across the full product range.
Kambukka also offers an industry first with their patent pending Snapclean® technology on a number of products, enabling users to simply pinch and pull to remove the drinking mechanism which can then be easily cleaned.
Thermal options keep liquids hot for up to six hours and ice-cold for up to 21, meaning they are perfect for everything from commutes, to weekend hikes and kids lunch boxes. With design at the heart of the range, Kambukka bottles are available in an extensive assortment of patterns and colours, including the Pantone Color of the Year 2019, Living Coral.
This water bottle was fun, and very practical, and we’d recommend, especially for longer trips and people with families. There are even bottles especially for teens and kids.
TO BUY: Visit https://www.kambukka.com/uk. Prices start at £16.95 for a 500ml bottle.
Hydroflask
Founded in 2009, launching the first all-insulated bottle line-up into the market, Hydro Flask continually strives to bring new, innovative solutions to its customers. From insulated caps to the lightest weight bottles in the insulated category, dedication to product and culture remains the company’s number one focus.
The Hydroflask has patented TempShield™ technology allowing for the lightest weight and slimmest profile insulated bottle, keeping drinks cooler for longer. Their signature powder coat adds slip-free grip and extra durability – so you can take your Hydro Flask anywhere, on any adventure. It even comes with bottles suitable for a ‘standard mouth’ and a ‘wide mouth’.
This water bottle was durable, practical and stylish coming in an array of colours. It’s the ideal choice for treks or a gym session.
TO BUY: https://uk.hydroflask.com. Prices are around £31.00 for a 621ml bottle.
Brita Fill&Go Vital
The Brita Fill&Go Vital is the on-the-go water filter bottle with integrated activated carbon filtration that transforms tap water into great tasting, freshly filtered water. The MicroDisc reduces chlorine and other taste impairing substances and lasts one month (approx. 150l).
As you would expect from any Brita product, it’s a safe, tried-and-tested and very practical option that works. It’s colour combinations also make it a stylish and fun choice.
The bottle is dishwasher safe and BPA-free. It also comes in an ‘active’ option with a sports cap.
TO BUY: https://www.brita.co.uk/fill-and-go/vital Priced at £16.50 for a 600ml bottle.
Life Water cans
Now for something different…the Life Water can is a more sustainable alternative to plastic bottles, as every can is 100% recyclable, made from recycled aluminium and BPA free and is filled with high quality mineral water locally sourced from the UK.
Each Life Water can is made from 70% recycled aluminium and from 100% recyclable materials.
The brand has also partnered with clean water charity drop4drop, and each can of Life Water which is sold will help fund clean water projects globally.
The #LifeWaterCan has worked with the Eden Project, Kew Gardens, the Natural History Museum and they are also the official water of Glastonbury Festival 2019.
We praise you, Life Water, for being so eco-conscious!
TO BUY: https://www.life-water.co.uk. £23.99 for a pack of 24 330ml cans on Amazon.
INSIGHT: What’s the true cost of water?
One million plastic bottles are sold evert minute, with 480 billion bottles sold in the last year. Of these 50% were collected for recycling and 7% were turned into new bottles. It takes a plastic bottle 450 years to biodegrade, and a recently study by the Marine Conversation Society found that one average 225.3 plastic bottles were found per every 100m on UK beaches.
It’s not just water bottles that are the issue, according to Science Magazine, 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste had be created in 2015, and only 9% had been recycled. It’s clear to see how plastic ends back into our water supplies. Not only causing irreparable damage to our oceans but UN Oceans Chief recently told the BBC “This was a planetary crisis”.
93% of bottled water shows signs of plastic contamination, with the average litre of bottled water containing 10.4 larger particles, each bigger than a human hair. Some particles are big enough to be handled individually. Even more smaller particles were found with on average 314 particles (under 6.5 microns) per litre.
It’s not just plastic you should worry about, with on average 7 asbestos water pipes breaking per week, each releasing asbestos fibres into the water stream. The Cranleigh Civic Society has been researching this issue and are seriously concerned about asbestos in our drinking supply.
Asbestos products were widely used up to about 1970 as they were easy to use - and inexpensive. No one foresaw that they had a relatively short lifespan - or that, if broken, dust is created which is seriously harmful if inhaled. A 2002 report for the DWI found that:
“There is potential for exposure to asbestos fibres in drinking water by inhalation of aerosol droplets or from fibres that are trapped on clothing during washing and which are subsequently released into the atmosphere”.