Stainless Steel vs Plastic Water Bottles: Everything You Need to Know

Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Pros

Stainless steel water bottles are highly sought out, since they provide a large amount of benefits. A key feature of stainless steel bottles is insulation. Meaning your beverage will stay hot or cold all day long! Another great aspect of stainless steel is that it does not leach chemicals, however, some stainless steel bottles are known to make your water taste more metallic. This is simply because stainless steel is a metal, and is unfortunately hard to avoid. Although, there are ways to get rid of that problem. Stainless steel bottles have a long lifespan because they are very durable, but tend to get dented and scratched fairly quickly.

Cons

Some common downsides of stainless steel bottles are that they tend to dent and scratch easily. Often leading to a water bottle that will not stand straight and will eventually be thrown away. Stainless steel bottles are known to make your water have a metallic taste as well. This is due to the presence of actual metal content, like iron, zinc and copper. Although stainless steel is a recyclable water bottle, stainless steel production actually emits high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Making it yet another contributing factor to global warming.

Plastic Water Bottles

Pros

Reusable plastic bottles are the most inexpensive option of custom water bottles. They come in various shapes, colors, and sizes, making your options endless! They are very lightweight and easy to bring with you on just about any adventure. Most plastic bottles are recyclable but take longer to break down than your typical single use plastic bottle. There are many recycled plastic bottles as well that are made of recycled PET, making them a great, sustainable option.

Cons

We are all aware of the impacts single use water bottles have on the environment. But, do you know the impact plastic bottles have on your health? Bisphenol A, or BPA, is commonly found in plastic bottles and acts as an endocrine disruptor. The endocrine system regulates your bodies hormones and a disruption of this system can cause certain cancers and interferes with fetal development. However, most plastic bottles nowadays are made BPA-free to avoid those health risks. In any case, it is always smart to double check if your bottle contains BPA or not.

Cleaning Your Reusable Water Bottle

No matter what material type of water bottle you buy, you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to properly care for your bottle. Stainless steel bottles are usually considered dishwasher safe, but it always depends on how the product was produced. Plastic bottles are not dishwasher safe, so, if you tend to avoid cleaning by hand, custom plastic water bottles are probably not for you. Cleaning a reusable bottle by hand is simple. All you need to do is fill your bottle halfway with warm water and dish soap, then shake it around for about a minute, rinse it out, and your bottle is all clean!

Which is Best For You?

Overall, the best decision would be to go for a stainless steel water bottle since it is reusable and recyclable. A custom stainless steel water bottle can't be put in single-stream recycling bins. Instead, drop it off at a metal recycler. Although it takes longer to recycle than other materials like glass, it is still the more sustainable option compared to plastic. Since plastic bottles still require oil to produce and will contribute to plastic pollution whenever they are disposed of. And plastic bottles usually contain Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, that is known to be linked to cancer. Although buying custom plastic water bottles seems like the smart choice since there are recycled water bottle options, they are not durable enough to withstand multiple uses and often end up leaching unwanted chemicals into the water. So, when you are debating between the two, migrate towards reusable water bottles that are made from stainless steel. Your body (and the Earth) will thank you.

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