Today’s plastic bottle age has created problems in our landfills and oceans. Plastic bottles litter the environment with toxic, chemical-leaching particles that never fully degrade. Unfortunately, plastic bottles have been proven to be detrimental to our health as well as the environment.
The world is coming into terms with sustainable practices that are both better for you, and better for the environment. After all, taking care of our surroundings is a crucial step towards maintaining our overall health, so it isn’t surprising how a clean environment would keep us healthy.
What are Aluminum Bottles?
In the era where sustainability is now at the forefront of our battle against climate change, aluminum stepped up to provide a solution to the destructive tendencies of plastic. Aluminum has shown to provide sustainable benefits when used instead of plastic, and can replace the latter as a material for bottles and containers.
When used as a water bottle, aluminum can keep the liquid well without the need for any plastic liner, and without leaching harmful chemicals into the water like plastic does. There are multiple health and environmental benefits to swapping out plastic for aluminum.
Businesses, too, can utilize the sustainable material by providing customers with custom labeled bottled water in aluminum containers. Not only will the shiny, metal bottle provide a unique twist on the usual plastic, it will also bring additional brand awareness into your sustainable business practices!
How is Aluminum better than Plastic?
1. Aluminum is recyclable
Aluminum bottles are completely recyclable. Unlike aluminum soda cans, which are typically lined with plastic to prevent the acidic liquid from corroding the metal, aluminum water bottles do not require plastic liners, and are therefore made using pure aluminum material. This makes the bottles completely recyclable.
In fact, most recycling facilities accept aluminum bottles, but they may not accept aluminum cans specifically for the plastic liner. The amount of effort and energy to separate the metal material from the plastic liner takes a lot of force, so most recycling plants don’t accept any container with a plastic liner.
2. Aluminum is sustainable
Aluminum water bottles are highly sustainable. Aluminum is one of the most sustainable materials we have – so endlessly recyclable that more than 70% of all aluminum ever mined is still used today. Compare that to plastic bottles which have one-use shelf lives, aluminum bears a lighter stress on the environment than plastic does.
Recycled aluminum only uses up 5% of the energy and resources it takes to produce a product from newly-mined aluminum. This means that there are fewer carbon footprints that are produced when using recycled aluminum compared to newly-mined aluminum, effectively easing the stress of the environment.
3. Aluminum increases your water intake
When the water is good, you tend to drink more and hydrate yourself. Aluminum bottles are just as portable as plastic bottles, and do not have a great difference in material weight. Both aluminum and plastic bottles are lightweight materials, yet as you can carry aluminum water bottles around, you tend to hydrate more to keep your body fit!
Aluminum also keeps your drinks at the optimal temperature, getting you to increase your water intake much more efficiently. As these bottles can be refilled and placed in the fridge, you can pick up an aluminum bottle on the go for instant refreshment at any time!
4. Aluminum can hold hot and cold drinks longer
Who doesn’t prefer an ice-cold water during the summer months, or a nice, warm drink during winter? Aluminum water bottles can provide both temperatures, and maintain the temperature of its contents longer than plastic can. While the cold almost immediately dissipates with plastic bottles, aluminum ones keep the water cool for long due to its thermal conductivity.
As a business, you can provide your customers with the unique option of a sanitary way to drink hot or ice-cold beverages straight from the bottle! Your customers are more likely to hold onto your custom water bottle as it keeps their drinks at perfect temperatures, and can be reused over and over again unlike plastic bottles!
5. Aluminum has no lining
Besides the plastic liner, some drink containers may have wax, gel, or synthetic liners that can also leach harmful substances into the liquid. Since aluminum water bottles only deal with water, which has a neutral acidity, these have no lining that would otherwise affect the taste and quality of the water kept inside the vessel.
However, because aluminum has no plastic, silicone, or wax lining, you may think that the water will have a metallic taste, and the bottle itself is susceptible to rust. When used for water bottles, manufacturers ensure that the inner walls holding the water are protected from moisture, while the exterior can be washed over and over again to reuse the bottle.
6. Aluminum does not leach chemicals
Because it has no plastic lining, aluminum does not leach harmful chemicals into the water. When degrading, aluminum also does not emit any toxic chemicals into the environment. The aluminum material simply degrades back into the earth. Aluminum is also derived from natural sources, and can be used to safely store water, tea, juice, coffee, and other beverages.
Our Verdict
Keep your conscience clear that you’re not adding to the pollution in the landfills, nor are you littering your body when you drink out of an aluminum water bottle. With the sustainable, recyclable, and reusable material, you’re sure to feel the beneficial effects of switching from plastic to aluminum.
Aluminum is a great resource, and can be the solution to our plastic problem. Not only are we caring for the environment, we have concerns over what we put into our bodies. You may think plastic bottles do little harm to your health, but these can affect the water that you drink, even if you pour the water into a glass.
Sticking with aluminum has multiple benefits that are hard to ignore, and when you’re concerned over the effects of your food packaging on your health, it may be time to consider sustainable options like aluminum.