It’s no secret that bottled water is a convenience that many people take advantage of. What isn’t quite as obvious, however, is how wasteful the industry actually is.
Here are a couple bottled water facts that will blow your mind:
- Last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, but only recycled 38.
- Making bottles to meet America’s demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually- enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year.
- The energy we use to manufacture bottled water is enough to power 190,000 homes
- ^ Source
- The price of bottled water is up to 10,000 times the cost of tap water.
- 40% of all bottled water is taken from municipal water sources (a.k.a. it’s bottled tap water).
- It takes 3 times the amount of water to product the bottle as it does to fill it.
- Only 1 in 5 water bottles are recycled.
- ^ Source
With all that being said, there is a pretty simple solution to cutting down on your plastic bottled water use and looking pretty cool while doing it. The first is to buy a sweet reusable water bottle! Here are a couple we like:
Blog Image Hydaway Collapsible Bottle
These cool little silicone bottles hold up to 21oz of liquid and compress to about the size of a deck of cards when not in use. The sippy top and bold colors make it the perfect bottle for an eco warrior on the go!
S’well Teakwood Bottle
In terms of trendiness, S’well is nailing it. Their bottles range from metallics, to exotic animal prints, to this wooden one pictured. The company works with UNICEF to provide clean drinking water around the world and, depending on the style, each bottle’s sales also go towards a specific charity or cause. For every Wood Collection bottle sold, S’well plants a tree!
EcoJarz Classic Drinking Jar Lid: Wide-Mouth Stainless Steel
This reusable drink lid is made of non-BPA, phthalates, or chemical leach and will fit any wide-mouth canning car, turning it into a travel mug for your fave tea, iced coffee, smoothies, or water! Pick up one of their reusable straws to go with it and sip in style.
The second is to rock some recycled plastic threads! They’re oftentimes made of the same plastic as those disposable bottles are! Here’s a beachy Summer outfit we’ve created for you that incorporates plastic into every item!
Blog Image Soul Flower Tree Circle Recycled Yoga Tank
This flowy yoga tank top is made of 50% organic cotton and 50 recycled plastic. It’s also printed with low impact dyes and is perfect for staying cool on hot, sunny days!
Teeki Choose Roses Hot Pant
These 4-way stretch pants are a great breathable, recycled alternative to most leggings on the market. In addition to being made from plastic, they’re sewn and printed using eco-friendly practices!
Odina Alison’s Adventures In the Curl Top
Inspired by Allison Adventures, these colorful and flirty bikinis are made of recycled plastic and recycled fishing nets! Clean up the ocean and look stylin’ on the beach! Win win!