A reusable water bottle.

Why an Eco-Friendly Water Bottle Is Better for the Planet

Rachel Lark - January 29, 2024

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Are you still using single-use plastic bottles? An eco-friendly water bottle is much better for the planet and your health. If you switch, you essentially reduce pollution and remove microplastics from nature.

It’s Time to Move on from Single-Use Plastic 

The amount of plastic humans produce every year is staggering. Globally, they created over 390 million metric tons in 2021 alone. The unfortunate truth is much of that was thrown away — it will now sit in landfills and float in waterways for centuries until it degrades naturally.

Even though almost everyone knows how bad plastic is for the environment, they continue to use and discard it improperly. Only 25% of single-use bottles get recycled. Unfortunately, each one takes hundreds of years to decompose.

Moreover, plastics are incredibly harmful to the planet. Most single-use bottles are labeled with a one, meaning they’re made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. This material causes environmental damage by lowering air quality, damaging soil fertility, and releasing microplastics into waterways.

Why Should You Use an Eco-Friendly Water Bottle?

Plastic isn’t just bad for the planet — it’s also bad for your health. PET contains multiple hazardous chemicals that leech out over time. Long-term exposure leads to hormone imbalances, nervous system damage, immune system impairment, and cancer. Think about its effects on you if you aren’t convinced about switching to an eco-friendly alternative. 

Besides being much healthier, a reusable, eco-friendly water bottle is much more affordable. On average, tap water is 600 times less expensive than bottled. You’ll save a lot of time and money when you don’t have to travel to the store to stock up on single-use plastics. 

If you’re concerned about your tap water’s cleanliness, you can always get a faucet filter. 

Since some water filters are 100% effective at removing all contaminants, you won’t have to worry about getting sick. You can even conduct an at-home test to check for pollutants. Depending on the results, you can get a specific kind of filtration system.  

What to Look for in an Eco-Friendly Water Bottle

If you want an eco-friendly water bottle, you have to make sure the material you get is actually good for the planet. For example, metal, silicone, and wood are good for the environment. Ensure the manufacturer doesn’t use plastic in the lid or the straw. 

Although being environmentally safe is an eco-friendly water bottle’s priority, you also need it to be practical and convenient. Look for features that will make your life easier — things like leakproof seals, dishwasher-safe material, and a label for recycling.

You should also watch for size, cap type, and insulation. Think about what you plan on filling your bottle with. While hot tea, coffee, and cocoa need something that can hold warmth, cold liquids will do fine in a glass container. The same concept applies to drinking — while a chug cap works well with cold water, using it with hot drinks could result in splashes and burns. 

What Eco-Friendly Water Bottle Should You Get?

If you need help picking an eco-friendly water bottle, consider these options. They use environmentally safe materials and are super convenient. 

1. Hydro Flask: Stainless Steel Wide Mouth

Hydro Flask is one of the best companies to get an eco-friendly water bottle from. After all, it has donated $2.5 million to preserving parks. Its 32-ounce wide-mouth water bottle is made of pro-grade stainless steel, so it’s durable and good for the environment. Also, it has double–wall insulation to keep your drinks cold for up to 24 hours.

2. Ello: Syndicate Glass Water Bottle

This 20-ounce water bottle from Ello uses silicone and borosilicate glass instead of plastic. It’s fully recyclable, food-safe, and durable. Plus, it’s BPA-free and dishwasher-safe, which makes it very convenient.

3. Tronco: Glass Tumbler 

Tronco’s glass tumbler is another 20-ounce eco-friendly water bottle with a convenient silicone sleeve. Its lid is bamboo, and its body is borosilicate glass, making it fully recyclable. If you break yours within one year of purchasing it, the company will send you a free replacement.

4. JoyJolt: Glass Water Bottle

This 32-ounce water bottle from JoyJolt uses BPA and phthalate-free materials. While the body is borosilicate glass, the screw-on cap is made from pro-grade stainless steel. As a bonus, it’s dishwasher-safe, leakproof, and fridge-safe. 

5. FineDine: Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Due to its triple insulation, this pro-grade brushed stainless steel eco-friendly water bottle can keep 17 ounces of liquid cold for 24 hours and hot for 8 hours. Even the cap has a vacuum seal, so you won’t have to worry about leaks or sweating. 

6. Yeti: Rambler Water Bottle 

This Yeti rambler water bottle is BPA-free and dishwasher safe because it uses pro-grade stainless steel. Also, your drinks will hold their temperature for hours because it has double-wall insulation. Best of all, it comes in 32 fun colors. 

7. CamelBak: Chute Mag Water Bottle

CamelBak’s Cute Mag water bottles use pro-grade stainless steel and magnetic caps to stay leakproof. This particular version is BPA-free and made with recycled materials. Since it has double-wall insulation, your drinks will stay cold for 28 hours and hot for 11 hours. 

8. Hydro Flask: All Around Travel Tumbler

Naturally, Hydro Flask makes another appearance on this list with its environmentally-friendly travel tumbler. The flexible straw, press-in lid, and body use pro-grade stainless steel and silicone instead of plastic. It’s BPA-free, sweat-proof, and dishwasher-safe. 

9. Triple Tree: Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Triple Tree’s uninsulated, BPA-free stainless steel water bottle holds 34 ounces. It’s especially durable because it was built with outdoor recreation in mind. As a result, it’s leakproof and has a lifetime warranty.

10. Ocean Bottle: Recycled Water Bottle

Ocean Bottle has turned over 100 million single-use bottles into reusable water bottles. This version is made from stainless steel, silicone, and ocean-bound plastics, which are 90% recycled. It’s also fully recyclable itself.

This eco-friendly water bottle has vacuum insulation, so it keeps drinks cold for 18 hours and hot for 9 hours. It’s also sweat-proof, dishwasher-safe, and BPA-free. If you decide to get it, you’ll essentially remove 1,000 single-use plastic bottles from the ocean.

11. Bambaw: Stainless Steel Water Bottle

The 32-ounce uninsulated stainless steel water bottle from Bambaw is very environmentally friendly. After all, this company has a zero-waste philosophy it applies to its entire operation. 

12. GrandTies: Stainless Steel Wide Mouth

This 32-ounce stainless steel wide-mouth water bottle from GrandTies has two kinds of screw-on lids for convenience. The bottle itself is leakproof, BPA-free, and sweat-proof. As a bonus, it comes in 15 fun colors. 

An Eco-Friendly Water Bottle Is the Way to Go

If you get an eco-friendly water bottle, make sure it doesn’t use plastic. The one exception to this rule is when the materials are recycled. After all, reusing landfill or ocean-bound materials is much better for the planet. Other than that, your choice depends on your preferences.

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About the author

Rachel Lark

Rachel serves as the Assistant Editor of Environment.co. A true foodie and activist at heart, she loves covering topics ranging from veganism to off grid living.