One of the easiest ways to reduce single use plastic is to purchase a good quality reusable water bottle or travel mug. Considering that the average human drinks approximately 64oz of water per day, you could save four 16 ounce single use water bottles per day or 1460 bottles per year from entering the waste stream. Likewise, if you purchase a coffee or tea at your favorite coffee shop on your way to work every day, you could save 250 or more plastic lids and cups per year.
Another reason to reduce plastic usage is to cut down on the amount of energy it takes to produce those bottles and cups. A study in 2007 found that it takes over 17 million barrels of oil to meet the demand of U.S. water bottle manufacturing, Reducing the amount of plastic we use on a daily basis cuts down on the natural resource requirements it takes to produce plastics.
Additionally, research has shown that water bottled in plastic has roughly double the number of microplastics as tap water, so you would be avoiding adding more toxins to your body by choosing a high quality reusable bottle or mug that you can fill with filtered water from your home.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Water Bottle or Travel Mug
Finding your One True Mug or water bottle can be a process of trial and error. There are many factors to consider to help you find a bottle or mug that works for your needs. Consider these when purchasing:
- How much liquid will it hold? For a travel mug, you might know that if you have too much coffee you don’t drink it, or you feel like you should drink all the coffee in your mug and have the caffeine jitters for the day. For a water bottle, 8ozs is probably too small, but 64ozs is too large. Consider how much the water bottle will weigh when it’s full of water. Sixteen ounces seems to be a standard water bottle size. Is that enough, or do you need something that will hold a bit more?
- How will you wash it? Many water bottles are dishwasher safe, and some recommend hand wash only. Consider how you wash your dishes and if the bottle will work for that.
- Does it fit easily in one hand? The circumference of the water bottle is important to consider. Can you easily hold it in one hand?
- Does it leak? Can you throw your water bottle in your backpack and trust that it won’t leak all over everything? If your travel mug gets knocked over in your car, will you have a lap full of hot tea?
- Is the opening big enough for a dish brush and ice cubes? You will want to be able to scrub your mug or bottle out, so making sure that a brush fits inside is important. If you enjoy ice in your water or iced coffee, you want to ensure that the opening is large enough to fit ice.
- What is it made of? If it is made of plastic, can it be recycled at the end of its life? Do you detest the taste of metal from a stainless steel mug? Will glass keep your water cold enough/are you prone to drop things? Is it well insulated to keep your drinks hot or cold all day? Do you like the way it looks?
- Will it fit in your cup holder? Cup holders do not come in standard sizes. A bottle that will fit in your car might not fit in the holder on your bike. Have a general idea of the size of your different cup holders when purchasing a bottle or mug.
- Lids. There are so many options. Some lids have built-in straws. Some splash water all over your face when you tip it up to drink. Some lids are hard to open with one hand. Some are like sippy-cups. Some lids are all plastic. Some lids are all metal. What do you like/what will function for your purposes?
These are a few things to think about when purchasing a new water bottle or travel mug. When you do find that one bottle or mug that serves all your needs, please consider donating or recycling your old ones. You can find out where to best recycle or donate in our directory.