Sustainable Water Bottle Buyer Considerations

Sustainability Power Rankings, Recycled Plastic vs Recycled Aluminum vs Recycled Stainless Steel?

This is a very complex question that depends on a broad range of factors relating to sourcing materials, processing , and manufacturing. Depending on those factors, it could very from product to product, business to business, or even bottle to bottle. All we can do is hypothesize in a very broad sense with the information we have. A comprehensive answer to this question would require significant academic study. That being said, here are our speculative power rankings

1. Recycled Aluminum
2. Recycled Post-Consumer or Ocean Plastic
3. Recycled Stainless Steel
4. Recycled Pre-Consumer Plastic

Based on our research, recycled aluminum earns our top pick because the recycling process is more energy efficient than recycling stainless steel, and the end product is lighter weight, which reduces carbon emissions during transit. Like stainless steel, it loses little to no quality in the recycling process, is infinitely recyclable, and recycling infrastructure is well-established. Lastly, it is not plastic, which reduces our reliance on petroleum-based products.

Recycled plastic done right, such as post-consumer, and especially ocean plastic, scores a second place finish in our power rankings. We ding it for being fossil-fuel derived, but respect how it keeps plastic out of the environment, and most critically the ocean. Conversely , plastics made from recycled pre-consumer scrap material rescues waste from landfills, but that’s much less important than rescuing it from the ocean. Furthermore, the recycling process of plastic is less efficient than metals, and quality degrades with each recycling cycle. Plastic in any form is less durable than metal, won’t last as long, and continued usage of recycled products means dispersing more microplastics into the environment and into our bodies over time with use of these products.

Recycled stainless steel has many of the same metal benefits as recycled aluminum, and especially the fact that it isn’t plastic. However, compared to aluminum, the recycling process is more energy intensive, and the material is heavier and more carbon emitting to transport. The main benefit of stainless steel vs aluminum is that it is more more durable, which could make for a longer product lifespan. But for the purposes of water bottles, both options are more than sufficiently durable, so that advantage for stainless vs aluminum is largely moot. From our perspective, stainless steel is the lesser of two similar options, and doesn’t functionally differentiate itself from aluminum well enough. Hence the third place finish.

What are Biobased Water Bottles?

“Biobased” refers to a class of materials known as biocomposites, which replace plastic-based feedstock (manufacturing ingredients) with plant-based alternatives. For the most part, these plant materials are deconstructed and reprocessed in factories to create a plastic-like substance. The most common feedstocks for biobased water bottles are bamboo, sugarcane, wheat stalk, pulp, and wood cellulose. Note, not all biocomposites are 100% biobased. Depending on the manufacturer, a biocomposite  may still include plastic resins, most frequently used as binding agents. But plant-based binding agents can recreate the characteristics of resin and are optimally sustainable because they allow for 100% biobased biocomposites.

Biobased vs Recycled Water Bottles, Which Are More Sustainable?

Unfortunately, this is another question that cannot be answered simply and depends on vast array of variables pertaining to supply chain and manufacturing. But let us be clear, both are important to the future of a sustainable world.

Biobased materials, such as those derived from feedstock like sugarcane, bamboo, and wheat stalk, are becoming more common on the marketplace. In many product lines, they are able to supplement or replace plastic entirely, reducing the world’s reliance on petroleum-based materials, and steering us towards de-plastification. You might be concerned about natural materials decaying or degrading over long term exposure to water, but this is not the case. Both of our recommended biobased water bottles are designed to last at least 10 years!

Recycled materials, such as those made with recycled plastic single-use bottles and aluminum cans, are important because they stimulate a circular economy, reduce waste, and create an entirely new supply feedstock. Recycling keeps waste out of nature and reduces carbon emissions.

From a performance perspective as used in water bottles, neither material is superior. Both are manufactured to be as strong, durable, and as leakproof as virgin materials.

What About Decorative Water Bottle Stickers?

By introducing glue, paper, and/or plastic, decorative stickers reduce the recyclability of a bottle. Mixed materials don’t recycle as well as mono-materials, and can contaminate the recycling process, thus degrading the output quality of whatever its being recycled into. Though this data is not available, it seems probable that a majority of sticker-laden bottles end up in the landfill.