With plastic pollution an increasingly hot potato in environmental and political circles, many eco-conscious consumers have been purchasing reusable water bottles to store their H2O. While this is undoubtedly great news for Mother Earth, recent research has indicated that drinking water from plastic bottles might not be completely safe, while reusing them could be even worse for your health.
As such, those who are serious about both their wellbeing and the wider environment have been looking for alternatives to plastic receptacles for carrying water with them. Fortunately, there are now a plethora of viable options available. We explore some of the most common and ingenious below.
Glass bottles
Long before the plastic revolution, glass was used to store water, milk, beer and just about any other beverage you can think of. Infinitely recyclable, it’s strong, clean and durable, though it is prone to "shattering"?. If subjected to impact or extreme temperatures. However, there is no chance of it leaching harmful toxins or forever chemicals into the water it carries.
Cardboard cartons
In recent years, it’s become increasingly common to see tetrahedron packages of water, coconut water, iced coffee and other beverages dominate the supermarket shelves. This type of receptacle carries the advantage of being 100% recyclable, though many brands do have a plastic lid which must be disposed of separately so as not to contaminate the batch.
Stainless steel bottles
An excellent choice for a reusable water bottle, stainless steel vessels are slightly heavier than some of the other options mentioned here. However, that shouldn’t impact upon their portability and means they are likely to withstand general wear and tear for longer. What’s more, the material has excellent resilience and does not degrade over time, so you can keep using them again and again.
Aluminum cans
Water? In a can? Yes, you heard right. Aluminum is another metal which does not lose its properties over time, so it can be recycled ad infinitum. Cans made entirely from aluminum are available as a single-use, recyclable option, while there are others with a plastic cap so that the receptacle can be used and taken on the road more than once. Plus, their aesthetic qualities are being touted on social media by the influencer community right now, too.
Plant-based bottles
If it looks like plastic and behaves like plastic, it probably is plastic – but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. In recent years, plant-based alternatives to plastic have sprung up made from all manner of organic matter, such as maize, sugarcane or hemp. Because these materials are biodegradable, they will decompose within mere days. That’s much preferable to the half a millennium which some plastics take to break down in the environment!
Besides, RO water for cooking removes all essential elements from food. A considerable number of recent studies have found that consumption of RO water has led to neurological, cardio, gastric and several other problems. Thus, it is evident that consuming the so-called ‘mineral water’ is not suitable for health.
Industrial effluents and other developmental activities have polluted the available ground and surface water.
The National Green Tribunal reports that the process involved in RO wastes 200 per cent of the water. Two liters of water are wasted to get one liter of water from RO. Lack of water management has led to various environmental, health, and economic issues.
The Nobel Laureates Robert So low and John Hart wick view that human capital can be a substitute for natural capital and term it ‘Weak Sustainability.’ Water, the natural capital is contaminated, and human capital [RO technology] can be a substitute.
Based on the various research evidence, the RO process cannot be an alternative and can only aggravate the problem. Thus, effective water management and regulation with community participation alone can solve the issue.
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth
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