A step towards sustainability many consumers now take is the purchase of reusable water bottles to reduce the crinkly crush of indestructible plastic bottles sent to landfills.
Check the cup holder of any health club fitness machine and you’ll likely see that the glint of stainless steel has supplanted the plastic name brand or nondescript water bottles cyclists squeeze.
As personal water bottles grow in use, they continue to evolve as manufacturers seek to enhance both their form and functionality. Following are two products introduced in the fall of 2010.
Seattle Sports Expands Line of Stainless Steel Bottles
Seattle Sports’ has expanded its H2MIO line of stainless steel water bottles, introducing the H2Duo and H2Duo Nested Set.
The new models are designed to be easy to clean by featuring a screw-off upper half that enables users to scrub away any residue from juice, sports drinks, or other liquids that could spawn bacteria. The top and bottom pieces of the bottle can also be used as two separate cups.
The H2Duo two-part bottle is available in 1000 ml and 800 ml sizes and features a screw cap with flow-through threads that allows pouring without having to completely remove it. The cap has a recessed flip-up hanging ring, a small, glow-in-the-dark accent allowing you to spot your bottle in the dark, and a cap lanyard to prevent loss.
The H2Duo Nested Set includes three bottles—two H2Duo bottles and one H2Uno. The bottle sizes are 1200 ml, 800 ml, and 450 ml (for the H2Duo); each fits inside the other for compact storage.
Bamboo Bottle Company’s “Original” Has Glass Inner
Few materials symbolize sustainability like bamboo—an all-but inexhaustible resource that can grow up to 10 feet per month. So when Portsmouth, NH-based MicroArts sought to create an eco-friendly water bottle, they turned to bamboo, and launched the Bamboo Bottle Company.
Its premier product, “the Original,” is made from Phyllostachys Pubescens bamboo that is hand harvested to minimize ground-soil impact. Bamboo serves as both a natural insulator and glass protector.
The 17-ounce glass inner is made from 60 percent recycled materials; the bottle’s cap, bottom, and nut are made from recyclable plastic. All parts are BPA free. The dishwasher-safe glass inner unscrews from its bamboo shell for easy cleaning.
“We wanted to create a clean, great looking bottle you could drink hot or cold beverages from,” said Bamboo Bottle Co. senior vice president Patrick Carland. “Clean to us meant liquids taste great and the product respects the environment. Bamboo and glass were the ideal solution.”
The Original is the first in what MicroArts founder Pete Getman calls a “fun little product line.” Other models will include a baby bottle (the Bambino), a sippy cup (the Boo), a bigger version of the Original (the Shoot), and a 40-ouncer called the Bam.
This new generation of water bottles reflects the product’s evolution from sports accessory to a personal item people use everywhere. The Seattle Sports and Bamboo Bottle Company promote this expanded use with sustainable products that combine style with safety.
Andrew Leibs - Andrew Leibs is Suite101’s Feature Writer for Accessible Recreation. He is a longtime chronicler of the disability movement with ...
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