Benefits of Utilising a Reusable Water Bottle
Small acts are all it takes to make a big impact! You’ll save money, natural resources and the planet if you remember to take your reusable water bottle when you go out. Even better to refill it rather than buying water in a single-use plastic bottle.
It’s a small act with a big impact on Victoria’s sustainable future.
Why it matters - The cost to the environment
Australians buy billions of plastic bottles every year. Sadly, 53% of plastic bottles end up in landfill and 12% end up in our environment where they contribute to the 130,000 tonnes of plastic leaked into Australia’s marine environment each year (WWF, Plastic Revolution to Reality 2020).
Like other single-use plastic items (plastic bags and straws), plastic water bottles are only used briefly but remain in the environment for hundreds of years causing considerable damage to wildlife, the environment and our health.
Producing and transporting plastic water bottles also uses a lot of energy and resources. It takes 3 litres of water and 1 litre of oil to produce just 1 litre of bottled water (Clean Up Australia 2022).
The cost to you
Buying bottled water is more expensive than tap water. In fact, bottled water is on average 2000 times more expensive than the high-quality drinking water we enjoy in Victoria. Here’s another way to look at – it'd take you 8 years of refilling your plastic bottle with tap water to make back the initial cost of buying one bottle of water.
Tips and tricks
Keep your bottle handy
Make it easy to remember your reusable bottle by keeping it somewhere convenient after you wash it out, like in your bag or next to where you keep your keys.
Sometimes 2 are better than one
Consider getting 2 reusable drink bottles to keep one at home and one at work if you frequently work away from home. This way you don’t have to worry about forgetting your bottle.
Get a free refill on the go
Top up your reusable bottle at one of the many free water refill stations around if you run out of water when out and about.
Originally Published via Sustainability Victoria on 27 September 2023
Image Sourced via Outdoor Gear Lab