“We want plastic to be taboo”: The rise of reusable water bottles

With recent scorching temperatures unmistakably illustrating the climate crisis, consumer habits have been marked by a concomitant interest in sustainability-related items. One of the most popular eco-friendly accessories is the reusable water bottle. This summer, the bigger and more motivating your bottle is, the better.

In 2021, the global reusable water bottle market was valued at $8.64 billion. dollars. This is expected to increase by 4.3% in 2022.

A number of factors are at play, including a return to work coupled with increased concern about plastic pollution and its potential for leaching into water and food. Research shows that 75% of adults in the UK are concerned about the impact of the climate crisis.

Among the success stories of 2022 is Hydroflask, one of the favorites of Generation Z, whose 1.8-Liter stainless steel bottles have contributed to a 19% increase in sales since last year. Top-selling 'gorpcore' brand Nalgene, whose 909ml bottles are made from BPA-free plastic, is widely considered the bag for life of reusable bottles. Although the company was unable to release sales figures, Elissa McGee, chief executive of Nalgene, says it has seen "persistent demand since the pandemic as daily routines and travel return to more conventional".

The Hydrojug, another unbreakable BPA-free mug that comes with a neoprene sleeve, has people carrying a whopping 2 liters of water and is rose to fame after appearing on Big Timber, a Netflix reality series about a Canadian lumberyard. By comparison, the small 1.1-litre stainless steel Adventure Quencher travel tumbler, made by venerable American camping gear brand Stanley, is a regular seller in the US (it reportedly has a waiting list of 135,000 people).

Never slow to ride the wave of a trend, Khloe Kardashian is known to prefer her reusable two-litre jug - some of which come with mindful affirmations scribbled on the side to encourage you to drink.

The skyrocketing popularity of these reusable containers has also resulted in water bottles that come with apps that monitor your intake and punish you when you miss your target, as well as smart water bottles that cost £180 to keep your tea hot (as used by Rishi Sunak), these rainbow colored bottles have turned hydration into a sport of competition.

City to Sea, a Bristol-based non-profit organization campaigning to prevent marine plastic pollution at the source, oversaw the launch of 35,000 p refillable water stations at train stations, airports and beaches this year, an increase of 10,000 over 2019.

Founder Natalie Fee believes the surge huge refillable bottles has as much to do with the recession as the climate. “Despite an obvious drop during the pandemic [we have since seen] a huge increase in heatwave awareness – from a health and hydration perspective, [but also] cost of living.” Fee says the tall bottles "are a bit weird but I can see why that happens".

In recent years the status of the water bottle - stainless steel , BPA-free plastic or made from partially recycled materials and rendered in candy-colored hues – has become the go-to sign for eco-credentials among young people. Keen to capitalize on the green pound, high-end brands have followed suit – Prada's £75 'milk urn' remains one of the most popular reusable water containers on the market. Simply put, "the message is that if you're carrying a reusable bottle, you care", s...