Drinking enough every day is crucial for our well -being. It works best if you always have some water in a drinking bottle. But how do you choose the right bottle? The choice can make a significant difference – not only for your own health, but also for our planet.
Man is thirsty regularly and needs water. If you are on the road and have nothing with you, you buy something to drink. The result: In Germany alone, around 16.4 billion disposable plastic bottles are used annually. These drinking bottles arise almost 394,000 tons of plastic waste annually, which often pollutes the environment after use. In addition, large amounts of climate -damaging crude oil and natural gas are required to produce the disposable bottles.
The reusable bottle is the better choice: it is replenished by the beverage manufacturer at least several times until it is too worn out and has to be replaced. The bottom line is that reusable bottles need fewer raw materials and produce less waste. Incidentally, a bottle deposit does not necessarily mean that it is a reusable bottle. Anyone who attaches great importance must therefore search for the corresponding inscription on the bottle.
How well can disposable drinking bottles be recycled?
The deposit system also helps to recycled disposable bottles. Many of the plastic bottles with 25 cents pawn become packaging material for cleaning agents or cosmetics as a drinking bottle. One speaks of “downcycling” here, since the material has a lower quality in recycling than before.
New disposable drinking bottles can also be made from recycled plastic. However, they are not real environmental heroes, because they usually only consist of a part of recycled material. Due to the processing process, part of the material is always lost when recycling. This means that waste water from recycling systems is heavily contaminated with microplastics.
For health reasons you can also do without disposable bottles of recycled plastic: the inferior plastics can be contaminated with chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) that are suspected of disrupting the hormonal balance of our body. You can also hand over microplastics to the drinks filled therein, especially with improper cleaning. Studies also show a high microbial load in used or recycled PET bottles, especially if you fill them again.
Own drinking bottle brings advantages
If you are thirsty, you should therefore look for a more environmentally and health-friendly alternative to the disposable bottles as possible. In this regard, your own drinking bottles are even better than reusable bottles. These can not only be filled with tap water a few times, but if they are properly maintained. The quality of the tap water is very good in Germany. It can be drunk without hesitation, provided that there are no old pale pipes in the house.
The filled water from the rooster is not only cheaper than bottle water from the supermarket, but also does not cause garbage. There are also fewer CO₂ emissions than for mineral water because long transport routes are eliminated. When choosing your own drinking bottle, however, you have to pay attention to the right material. It decides how environmentally friendly, healthy, light and stable the bottle is.
Which material is the right one?
Glass bottles are tasteless, pollutant -free and do not release chemicals to the liquid. They can be cleaned very well, even with boiling water, and they are dishwasher. The disadvantage here is that they are quite difficult and fragile. They are less suitable for children or activities where the bottle could fall down – unless they have a protective cover. Also note: the production of glass bottles is quite energy -intensive.
Stainless steel bottles are particularly durable. Like glass, they do not release chemicals to the liquid and are tasteless, harmful to harmful substances and hygienic. However, they have the decisive advantage of being easier and more stable than glass bottles. However, the production of stainless steel also requires a lot of energy. Due to their composition, stainless steel bottles are also not recommended for people with severe nickel allergy.
Plastic bottles are lighter and cheaper. But they can hand over chemicals and microplastics and taste to the drink – how much depends on the plastic used. In any case, you should avoid bottles made of polycarbonate, polysulfon, polystyrene, soft polyvinyl chloride or melamine resin, since these materials can release pollutants. Another disadvantage of plastic bottles: pollution adheres better on the plastic surface than on glass and stainless steel.
Even with bottles made of aluminum, care is required: the material is not acid -resistant and can detach itself in drinks such as fruit juices. To prevent this, the bottles are often coated on the inside. This coating often contains harmful bisphenols such as BPA. With aluminum bottles, it must therefore be ensured that the coating is not destroyed by hot liquids or friction. Otherwise, the harmful chemicals from the coating can get into the water.
Tips for bottle care
Regardless of the material of the drinking bottle, regular and thorough cleaning is crucial to prevent the accumulation of germs. To do this, empty the bottle after each use and clean it with warm water and washing -up equipment or in the dishwasher. If the drinking bottle is scratched from the inside or accepts an unpleasant smell despite cleaning, you should replace the container.
