We all know that disposable water bottles lead to more waste in our landfills, and all that plastic can hurt our environment. It can take up to 450 years for a plastic water bottle to degrade naturally in a landfill. To give you a little perspective, the US alone consumed around 50 billion disposable water bottles... last YEAR. On average, we Americans only recycle around 23 percent of our plastic waste, meaning around 38 billion water bottles went straight into landfills. That's a lot of waste.
Aside from the environmental impact disposable plastic water bottles pose, they can also inflict negative health effects when used repeatedly. You should never reuse a disposable water bottle. These products basically require you to create waste. We, at KOR, will talk about some of the issues that can occur when you reuse your disposable water bottle.
Why Do People "Prefer" Bottled Water?
Well, put simply, it's mostly due to marketing. You pick up a bottle at your local grocery store that shows a beautiful island paradise with a waterfall cascading down a lush mountainside. Your mind is thinking, “I'm drinking straight from that amazing water fall.” You're not. However, just by adding the water is sourced from an exotic location or a remote mountainside, you think the water quality is better. However, most disposable water bottle sources are much like the in-home water filters you can purchase from many reputable companies. It's that same marketing that leads people to reuse these water bottles. The bottles look great and announce to the world, you'll only drink artisanal water. However, you may be introducing yourself to some harmful elements when you reuse those disposable water bottles.
Germs, Germs EVERYWHERE
Your mouth is a breeding ground for all kinds of good bacteria but also some bad bacteria. It harbors 100 to 200 different species of bacteria. Even the most oral hygiene-conscious (dentists, for example) have between 20,000 and 100,000 bacteria living on EACH tooth surface. Pretty gross. Well... when you drink water, your mouth is introduced to any bacteria that's on the bottle itself and even worse, that bottle has a firm handshake with the bacteria in your mouth. We naturally backwash a little bit of the water when we drink, meaning whatever is in your mouth is now in that disposable water bottle. If you've been reusing that water bottle and feeling a little under the weather... you may have your answer.
Some Pretty Nasty Chemicals too
Most disposable water bottles are specifically made for single-use. Meaning, they don't necessarily use the same plastics that a reusable water bottle would be made from. The disposable bottles are not meant to stand up to the normal cleaning procedures that reusable bottles need. For example, reusable water bottles are made with BPA, a durable plastic, that does not degrade when washed with high temperature water (i.e. the right water for killing off any harmful bacteria). Many water bottles are made with polyethylene terephthalate or polyvinyl chloride. When disposable bottles are washed with high heat, these chemicals can leach into the bottle meaning, they are leaching into your water. These chemicals have been linked to both cancer and reproductive issues.
Is it Really Worth It?
Many people think they can reuse a disposable water bottle and that it will save them money. However, when we look at the actual dollars, you'll be wondering why you ever used them!
Put simply, here's the math:
Bottled Water for a family of four (64oz/day per person):
$0.40 per bottle x 5.3 bottles per person = $2.13 x 4 people = $8.53 x 365 days/year = $3,114.67
vs.
Home Water Filter & Reusable Water Bottles:
$119 filters (@ avg $6.50/filter) + $96 (2 - $12 Water Bottles/person) + $20 in-home filter + $1.10 (water from tap) = $236.10
"How much money can I save with a water filter?"
As you can see, a few investments for the bottle, the filters and the pitcher could save you and your family thousands a year. Even if you were to cut down on the cost of disposable water bottles, say if you're reusing those germ factories, you would still be hard pressed to make the math work.
Baby Steps
Simple changes in your plastic consumption can have a big effect on you and the environment. If you're worried about having a reusable bottle that couldn't possibly match the beauty of that island paradise, DON'T WORRY! KOR has you covered. We don't offer standard, boring reusable water bottles, we offer a conversation piece. You can carry a KOR vessel knowing it will give you the same street cred as that water fall. In fact, KOR has you covered with our own Water Fall, the revolutionary, pour-over water filter that lets you have your water the way you want it!
