Carrying your own water bottle is always a good idea. If you’re trying to choose a water bottle today, you have a number of material options including glass, plastic and steel. Unlike a few decades ago, we as a civilization are slowly moving away from blind consumerism.
We put a little more thought into the things we buy and invest in unlike many from generations prior. Even when it comes to water bottles, it helps to know what our options are and what would work best!
The Plastic or Steel Debate
Plastic has been the stable storage option for mass produced items for the past four decades or more. Manufacture of plastic products skyrocketed in the 80s and 90s and it is only now that we’re beginning to understand that cost effective or not, maybe so much plastic use was not the best idea.
When it comes to water bottles, using plastic is sometimes understandable. Most sports and gym bottles are made from plastic. Among other things, the material is prized for being light, versatile and resistant to damage through impact.
Why then with all these benefits do people still claim that stainless steel water bottles are a better choice? Let’s find out!
Environmental Factors
The first and most relevant factor when it comes to why stainless or reusable/recyclable steel water bottles are considered superior is environmental impact. According to one BBC News report online, there is disturbing amounts of plastic pollution in the oceans today.
Plastics may take up to 500 years to completely break down making the material quite problematic. Further, the recyclability of plastic is quite limited.
In comparison, stainless steel water bottles may be recycled once out of use in the manufacture of other metal products making them a lot less wasteful. In short, environmentally speaking, stainless steel is better!
Personal Health Factors
If the wellbeing of the planet and environment is not enough to motivate you, it is important to know that plastic may also adversely affect your health. There are many different kinds of plastics available, some of which are known to radiate toxins. In most cases this happens when these are exposed to heat or sunlight.
Though a reliable water bottle company that sells plastic water bottles will probably use the right specific materials, there may be others that do not.
This exposes you to toxins, impurities and even carcinogens in your drinking water if the same is stored in the wrong plastic!
Again, by way of personal health, stainless steel bottles win. This is because stainless steel is inert and does not affect the composition or content of your drinking water.
In Conclusion
We’re not the sort to work in black and white. If you wish to use a reusable plastic water bottle for sports purposes, make sure you purchase from a reliable company.
On the other hand, if you think you can manage, it’s always better to go for a stainless steel water bottle. This way, you keep both yourself and the planet you live in, safe and healthy!
