Product Hunt: Water Bottle (part II)

Continued from yesterday, the hunt for the perfect reusable water bottle continues.

A reader recommended the SIGG bottles, and this one seems to fit the bill. The SIGG 0.6 liter Traveller Classic is said to have gone under extensive testing to prove that it does not contain toxins. It is guaranteed leak-proof, which is something that yesterday’s bottle didn’t provide. Even the paints are eco-friendly. Price: $17.95 (closeout colors available for less).

The website additionally provides some information about reusing plastic (disposable) water bottles, as I am currently doing. I had no idea it was considered dangerous (by some). It’s hard to tell what’s right on this one, as I did find some sources that state this is an urban legend:

Reusing Single Use Plastic Bottles
Reusing bottles designed for single use is not advised since the plastic they’re made of can start leaching chemicals if the bottle is reused. Bottom line — bottles sold for single us should not be reused since they are not designed for reuse. There has even been talk of beverage companies putting warning labels on plastic bottles regarding reuse.

Fact
As plastic degrades through aging, and wear and tear of washing, leaching of potentially harmful chemicals increases.

Fact
According to the Container Recycling Institute, American’s used 4 billion pounds of plastic in the form of bottles in 2002, up from 1.1 billion pounds in 1990. The main culprit for the increase is “use once & toss” water and beverage bottles.

Additionally, I’d like to point out a discussion that started with yesterday’s post. Bottled water vs. Tap is a topic that has been around for years. And to tell you the truth, I can’t remember a single time that bottled has won over tap.

The cost of bottled water: I found this graphic to be very interesting, and wish that I could find one for the US.

Consumers will save themselves a lot of money, as well as help out the environment, just by drinking tap. I drink tap, but usually through a filter. (I haven’t researched the eco-side of water filters yet.)

So, is the hunt over? I’ll look around a little bit more before declaring this SIGG bottle the winner!