School. Work. Gym. Everywhere one goes, ThermoFlasks, Stanleys and Owalas abound.
Studies estimate 60% of Americans own a reusable water bottle. In addition to their durability and relatively inexpensive price, reusable water bottles are often viewed as a positive method for reducing waste produced by single-use products like plastic bottles. They were originally introduced as convenient and sturdy tools for hikers and soldiers, but eventually expanded to different uses. Eventually, they were branded for environmental conservation.
At first glance, reusable water bottles seem ideal. They are eco-friendly, as they eliminate the need for wasteful single-use products. They are also a good investment for people looking to spend less on drinking water because they do not require repeated purchases the same way plastic bottled water does. In addition, certain types of reusable bottles, like those made of stainless steel, offer benefits like temperature control.
Today, it seems like everyone is carrying a Stanley Cup, Owala or another kind of reusable water bottle. While these companies and customers claim to be saving the environment, their products still have significant downsides, challenging the notion that they are an ideal product.
One primary concern with reusable water bottles is hygiene. Without consistent, proper cleaning, they can quickly become extremely unsanitary. They offer optimal conditions for bacterial growth, especially in areas like caps and straws. When saliva from a user’s mouth makes its way into the rest of the bottle, the dark environment of stainless steel bottles allows for rapid bacterial growth, especially as food residue provides the bacteria with nutrients.
Meanwhile, reusable bottles made of plastic, like those from Naglene and Gatorade, are more susceptible to damage and microbial growth in certain conditions, especially in hotter areas like cars. A study revealed that the average reusable water bottle can have more than 40,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, 14 times more than a dog bowl and five times more than a computer mouse. Some of the bacteria associated with water bottles, like E. coli, can have negative health effects, including stomach cramps and vomiting. Consequently, experts recommend washing such bottles daily with soap and warm water. However, most do not take the time to clean their bottles every day. Many people carry their beloved, germ-filled bottles around without knowing—or without caring—that their bottles might be more contaminated than the bowl their dog drinks from.
Bacterial contamination is not the only problem with reusable water bottles, as they also raise microplastic concerns, like their one-time use counterparts. Reusable bottles are almost seen as a better and therefore “safer” alternative to single-use plastic bottles. While there is truth to that, the stress of repeated use causes even reusable bottles to shed microplastics, and there is evidence that they are harmful to the human body.
Reusable water bottles can shed microplastics even outside of regular use like opening and closing lids or caps. Friction from washing bottles also causes microplastics to enter the water, which can easily and quickly enter the body. This creates a conflicting cycle where refraining from washing allows dangerous bacteria to multiply, while washing expands the dangers of microplastics. Although single-use bottles also have microplastics, reusable water bottles allow for the amount of microplastics to increase over time through repeated use.
In addition to being dangerous to human health, microplastics also pose a serious threat to the environment. When a water bottle sheds microplastics while being washed, there are only two places the tiny plastic pieces can go: staying in the water bottle or going down the drain. If it stays in the bottle, it will likely enter the user’s body. If it goes down the drain, it is possible for the microplastics to end up in the ocean.
One of the environmental appeals of reusable water bottles is the assumption that they significantly reduce the waste produced by single-use water bottles. Many reusable water bottles are also durably designed, since they are intended to be a one-time purchase. However, today, water bottles fall victim to overconsumption, especially among younger demographics. With the rise of online trends and the accessorization of reusable water bottles, especially Stanleys, the “no-waste” perk self-destructed, leaving many people with water bottles they will never touch. As companies like Stanley continue to pump out new products and variations, water bottles develop into somewhat of a collectible. This pattern has repeated itself beyond Stanley. When Starbucks released its “Bearista” cup, it became an instant hit, selling out quickly and commanding high prices on secondary markets like eBay.
While such social media trends tend to be temporary, overconsumerism is a real problem that threatens the legitimacy of reusable water bottles’ eco-friendly nature.
That is not to say that reusable water bottles are obsolete. They are still better options than single-use.
There are efforts to make reusable water bottles truly deliver on their promises. An example is LARQ, a company that makes reusable water bottles that clean themselves. The system works by using a UV-C light to self-clean the bottle every two hours. However, the bottle’s high cost makes it an impractical solution for some, and it fails to solve the problem of overconsumption.
Overconsumption is a difficult problem to solve because of the business opportunity that is present to the companies that make reusable bottles. Online trends are extremely difficult to completely delete. Nonetheless, the idea of water bottles as collectibles must be stopped. In the shadow of large environmental concerns like climate change and ocean pollution, overconsumption acts almost like a silent killer. Just as people are educated about the downsides of greenhouse gases and single-use plastic products, they should also be educated on the negatives of overconsumption. The consumers who fuel the market for collectible water bottles need to realize that their actions pose a real concern to the Earth.
Many see reusable water bottles as a complete solution to single-use products. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Reusable water bottles had fundamental problems to begin with, then humans added more through overconsumption, which leads to the question: are these bottles truly better options, or have we defeated the purpose of an already-flawed product?
