With more and more single-use plastic on the way out in Australia, it’s time to jump on board the re-use train. Next stop, water bottles.
We all need to stay hydrated, but drinking bottled water is a needlessly wasteful habit that should get kicked to the curb. Stainless steel drink bottles are better for the planet, your health and your wallet. Plus, our art-inspired insulated stainless steel drink bottles are as beautiful as they are useful. Wondering what the deal with stainless steel water bottles is? Read on.
A Stainless Steel Reusable Water Bottle is Less Wasteful
For a country that’s blessed with beautiful natural land and seascapes, we should do a better job of keeping them clean. The sad truth is that you don’t have to go far to spot a bit of litter, and when you do, chances are it will be plastic.
In Australia, we use about 5 billion single-use drink bottles a year and 12% of these bottles end up as pollution in our environment. These bottles can take over 20 years to break down, and while they do they leech toxins into ecosystems – that’s if they’re not accidentally eaten by wildlife.[1]
With a stainless steel reusable bottle, you’re doing your bit to fight plastic pollution. Think about it this way – every time you refill your water bottle, you’re keeping one less single-use plastic bottle from going in the bin – every refill is a win!
Stainless Steel Water Bottles are Sustainable
Plastic pollution isn’t the only environmental risk that comes with using plastic bottles. The creation, processing, packaging and transportation of bottled water releases pollutants into the atmosphere that can contribute to damaging our environment.
In Australia, only 32.7% of the primary material used to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET is recycled.[2] That means the rest of the bottles are made with new plastics, and those are derived from non-renewable sources of crude oil.
The environmental footprint of bottled water gets worse when you consider the fossil fuels used to fill them, transport them and keep them cool. Of course, a new reusable bottle uses resources in production and transportation, but once it’s with the consumer and is being filled at home and reused – the impact is much smaller. Researchers have recently reported the impact of bottled to be 3,500 times higher than tap water.[3] In terms of the environmental impacts, it feels like a no-brainer.
Stainless Steel Bottles are Hygienic
Have you ever wondered why so much kitchenware uses stainless steel? It’s because food-grade stainless steel is super durable and hygienic. Koh Living stainless steel drink bottles are made with high-quality, food-grade stainless steel – that’s ‘304’ or [18/8] for industry folk.
Basically, this means that stainless steel is alloyed with other metals (like chromium and nickel) to make the material less prone to rusting. It also gives the steel a smooth finish. This is super important for hygiene because porous surfaces are ideal for bacteria growth.
And if you’re curious as to how you clean stainless steel water bottles, the answer is to hand-wash only. This helps preserve the smooth hygienic surface.
Stainless Steel Bottles are Better for Health
You’re likely to have come across the words ‘BPA free’ by now. And for good reason; Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical believed to interfere with the hormonal system. It has been associated with breast and prostate cancers, genital defects in males, early onset of puberty, obesity and behavioural issues.[4] BPA can sometimes be found in household plastics, including reusable containers and bottles.
Despite this, the health risks of BPA exposure remain a contentious issue. Some governing bodies in Canada, the European Union and some states of the US have phased BPA out of consumer products. But in Australia, there is no ban.
One thing that is widely acknowledged is that BPA poses a health risk to children. This is because the potential amount of BPA consumed by children relative to their size is higher and therefore more harmful.[5]
With all that in mind, it seems that the smartest thing to do for your health is to take the precautionary principle. If there is no consensus on the risks of BPA, it means that in the future, it could go either way. If there’s a chance that it is harmful and there are great alternatives available – best to avoid it.\
One of those alternatives is reusable metal water bottles. The catch is that they should be unlined and non-toxic like the high-quality bottles that are part of the Koh Living collection. With reusable bottles, like most things, you get what you pay for. Koh Living stainless steel water bottles are very high quality. Cheaper metal bottles are often lined with materials that can be harmful to your health.
One of these is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is a rigid plastic that’s commonly used in plumbing or guttering. In household goods, PVC is mixed with other chemicals to make it more flexible. These ‘plasticisers’ include DEHA or phthalates and can sometimes make up 40% of the PVC. These chemicals are problematic because they can leech into food and drink and they are believed to have harmful effects on hormone and reproductive systems.[6]
Drinks Taste Better from Stainless Steel Bottles
There’s a common misconception that bottled water is better than tap water. That may be true for other countries, but in Australia, we have some of the safest tap water in the world. It may even be higher quality as tap water is held to much more stringent quality criteria and is monitored far more closely than bottled water.[7]
There have also been blind taste test studies that show most people can't tell the difference between bottled and tap water.[8] When it comes to picking a reusable vessel for that water, a stainless steel water bottle is an easy choice.
Koh Living reusable stainless steel bottles are double-walled. This insulation means that you can’t freeze stainless steel water bottles – but there’s no need because it keeps your drinks at their optimum temperature for hours. The best bit is that this works for both hot and cold drinks, and because stainless steel is non-porous, it won’t absorb any of the flavours like plastic bottles do.
Stainless Steel Bottles Support Locals!
Ok, so this one is specific to Koh Living stainless steel water bottles. But it’s 100% worth mentioning. Part of the fun of a reusable water bottle is choosing a design that is unique to your style and personality.
The graphics on our water bottles aren’t just unique, they’re designed by talented Australian artists. A portion of each sale also goes to the artist, so when you buy a bottle, you’re helping to support their work.
Koh Living is also an Australian-owned and operated company, so by shopping with us, you’re supporting a home-grown company too.
[1] https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/we-have-the-solutions-to-help-end-plastic-pollution-in-australia#gs.6ftqdf
[2] https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/we-have-the-solutions-to-help-end-plastic-pollution-in-australia#gs.6ftqdf
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/05/environmental-impact-of-bottled-water-up-to-3500-times-greater-than-tap-water
[4] https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/food-warnings-and-safety/plastic/articles/bpa-in-canned-foods
[5] https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/food-warnings-and-safety/plastic/articles/bpa-in-canned-foods
[6] https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/food-warnings-and-safety/plastic/articles/plasticiser-danger-in-food
[7] https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/drinks/water/articles/is-bottled-water-safer-than-tap-water
[8] https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/drinks/water/articles/is-bottled-water-safer-than-tap-water