By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Hydration, we all know, or at least should know, is very, very important and hydration means drinking water, you know the H2O kind of clear liquid that comes from a tap in most places.
Depending where you are when you need the water the question is as to the carrier and if you want to save money then walking into the nearest convenience store for a bottle of filtered (maybe) municipal (tap to you and me) water and paying anywhere between 90pence to a 1.50GBP for a 500ml bottle is out of the question. I try to avoid doing this as far as possible as I do not think that I should pay that amount of money for something that comes out of the faucet, the tap, for nearly free.
Quenching your thirst without reaching for the plastic bottle of said filtered tap water from a store is not really rocket science since all you really have to do is saddle up to the sink and stick your favorite cup underneath the faucet.
The only answer really is then, if you do not want to indulge in the one-time-use water bottle with water, to invest in a reusable bottle of one kind or the other and a fair number of different kinds and types and makes are about and below we shall be looking at some of them and at their pros and cons. Let's take it as given that in each and every instance we are talking about reusable water bottles.
Glass
Pros: Glass is a non-reactive material, meaning that it will not absorb beverage flavors or chemicals and it is also not lined with potentially harmful sealants, as are aluminium water bottles, and even those by SIGG and Gaiam have been until recently. In other words, you won’t be exposed to Bisphenol A, phthalates or other plastic-derived toxins.
Glass is easy to clean with a bottle brush or you can just pop it in the dishwasher and many companies fit their glass water bottles with protective sleeves to reduce the possibility of breakage, or use hardened or shatterproof glass.
Cons: Somewhat – a great deal in some cases – heavier than plastic versions and if you happen to be cursed with butter finger syndrome, there’s a good chance that your bottle could shatter, which could cause injury. Glass bottles are often also much more expensive than 100% plastic versions.
However, when it comes to the use of glass bottle as carrier for your tap water you do not have to go and spend money. Just apply the reuse and upcycling principle.
An empty glass SnappleTM lemonade bottle makes for a great 500ml reusable water bottle for free and it keeps a bottle out of the waste stream. It also means, aside from it not costing you anything it also does not put additional strain on the Planet and its resources.
While on the glass bottle front there are a couple of good ones to choose from, personally, aside from the “hardened” glass bottles, I cannot see why I would want to part with money here.
While your upcycled SnappleTM bottle may not be shatterproof you can protect it by, once again upcycling, something as a sleeve for it. In the days of old military canteens even were of water and had a very thick leather mantle on in order to prevent breakages.
Stainless Steel
Pros: Made out of one solid piece of stainless steel, it’s ideal for those who are tough on their water bottles. Stainless steel bottles also seem to keep water cool for an extended period of time. The metal is non-reactive, food-grade material and not lined with sealants.
Cons: Dents and scratches easily if you constantly drop it and is probably among the more expensive reusable water bottle options in the marketplace, bar some of the glass bottles.
While, theoretically, stainless steel is more or less taste neutral I find, however, that water from such bottles has a slightly metallic taste. Though not really unpleasant glass, as far as taste goes, is superior.
Plastic
Pros: You can repeatedly drop a plastic bottle without worrying about breaking or shattering it. Lightweight and easy to tote around. Affordable! As readily available and ubiquitous as the often quoted sliced bread though, I would say, not the next best thing to it. Then again sliced bread isn't much good either.
Cons: Seriously bad for the environment! Petroleum-derived products – plastics included – are incredibly resource-intensive and responsible for generating copious amounts of environmental toxins throughout the manufacturing process and during their entire lifespan and disposal.
Plastic chemicals such as Bisphenol A compromise the human endocrine system, resulting in immune, neurological, reproductive and developmental issues. When you're exposed to these compounds, your likelihood of succumbing to diabetes, obesity and various types of cancers is significantly increased.
Aluminium
The short answer here is a emphatic NO!
There are also the aluminium water bottles about, such as the SIGG and others but as far as aluminium bottles are concerned, as they have to have a liner, as the metal itself cannot be used without one, and the components of some of those liners are rather questionable, as far as chemicals go, I would very much advise against the use and therefore the purchase of aluminium water bottles and we shall, therefore, close the discussion on aluminium water bottles here straight away.
© 2011
