The amount of reusable water bottles that people buy is not helping the environment: it’s ruining it.
We all know that using plastic water bottles every day and throwing them away is bad for the environment because it creates so much pollution. Almost 8 million pieces of plastic are found in the ocean each day. Whenever the plastic from the water bottles is broken down, it releases harmful chemicals into the earth.
Knowing the harmful effects of using plastic water bottles, 53% of Americans use reusable water bottles over plastic water bottles. According to the article, “How Reusable Water Bottles Help the Environment” by the company Iron Flask, using reusable water bottles helps reduce plastic use – plastic is the most destructive thing to the environment. Using reusable water bottles will also cut down on plastic water bottle sales and the amount of plastic that ends up in oceans and landfills. The same article also states, “When you invest in reusable water bottles for yourself and your household, you’ll be reducing the amount of plastic water bottle production by 1,460 bottles in a single year.”
Buying reusable water bottles is helping the environment; however, the trend of buying so many of them in different colors and brands is not.
Over the years, our generation has gone through so many different water bottle trends. Which one will give you the most social status? Which one is the most popular? In 2019 it was trendy to have Hydro Flasks and to help “save the turtles” but over the years we have gone through so many different water bottle trends: Hydro Flasks, Hydra Peaks, Yetis, Gatorade, Stanleys, and now Owalas. I would not be surprised if in less than a year a new water bottle brand starts trending.
Once a new water bottle trend happens people will throw out their old water bottles and get the newest one that’s trending. Throwing out metal is also bad for the environment because the metal is not biodegradable. All of these metal water bottles end up in landfills and take over 1,000 years to decompose. If you are one of those people who go through different water bottle trends – at least go to the closest metal recycling factory to recycle your water bottle. Metal and stainless steel water bottles such as Stanleys – involve a process of making them that damages wildlife habitats – require a significant amount of energy, and generate CO2 emissions.
Not only does buying multiple Stanley cups contribute to overconsumption and harm the environment, but according to the website BBC, people have also discovered lead in some of these products. Lead exposure can cause high blood pressure, damage the brain, destroy your nervous system, and cause other sick-like symptoms. In addition to the bad symptoms that lead exposure causes – lead is also bad for the environment. California Air Resources Board says, “Ecosystems near point sources of lead demonstrate a wide range of adverse effects including losses in biodiversity, changes in community composition, decreased growth and reproductive rates in plants and animals, and neurological effects in vertebrates.”
All of these water bottle trends are leading to overconsumption which is really bad for the environment. Overconsumption worsens climate breakdown and increases air pollution.
Instead of buying whatever water bottle is the most trendy, buy a water bottle that YOU like and that is good for the environment and just re-use that one, instead of buying a certain brand in every color.
Next time you’re at the store and see the newest Stanley color and want to buy it, stop and think about what this is doing to the environment.
