Low plastic water bottle facts for kids
A low plastic water bottle is a special kind of water bottle. It uses less plastic than a regular bottle. This means it holds the same amount of water inside. But the plastic itself is thinner. Some of these bottles use less than half the plastic of older bottles!
More and more low plastic water bottles are being made today. This is because they are better for many reasons. Making them uses less material. This makes them cheaper to produce. It also helps the environment. Many water companies now only use this design. This is especially true for their smaller 16.9 oz bottles.
How We Recycle Bottles
Companies also think about recycling. In the past, water bottles bought in packs often had a plastic wrap and a cardboard base. This packaging could not be recycled. Now, some water companies make their packaging fully recyclable. They have also removed the cardboard base.
Removing the cardboard base saves a lot of material each year. It saves about 20 million pounds of cardboard! The thinner plastic in the bottles themselves saves even more. It saves about 75 million pounds of plastic.
However, thinner plastic bottles can be harder to recycle. The amount of plastic recycled from PET bottle recycling has gone down in Europe. This happened between 2011 and 2017. Thinner bottles can hold more water in recycling piles. They also make thinner plastic pieces. These pieces are more likely to be thrown away during recycling.
New Ideas for Bottles
Scientists and companies are always looking for new ways to make containers. They want to find cheap ways to hold water without using plastic. In 2009, a company called Ecologic Brands, Inc. made a new water bottle. It was made from materials like bamboo or palm leaves. These materials are recyclable and sustainable.
This new design won an award in 2009. The company has since made a paper jug. This jug can hold a recyclable plastic bag inside. This design is used for liquids like milk and laundry soap. It shows how we can use less plastic in our daily lives.
