Water bottles

Planning ahead and bringing a reusable water bottle when on the go is a healthier, cost-effective way to stay hydrated and avoid single-use plastic water bottles.

Reusable water bottle alternative to plastic waster bottles illustration

What you can do

Remember to take a reusable water bottle when on the go and refuse single-use plastic bottles.

How you can do it

Many people are in the habit of staying hydrated with a reusable water bottle. In places around the world with access to safe drinking water, a reusable water bottle avoids unnecessary single-use plastic water bottles.

Choosing a reusable bottle that suits your lifestyle can be a great way to get into the reusable routine. Bottles don’t need to be fancy. Some people simply repurpose a glass jar or bottle. If you do purchase a bottle, consider its lifespan. Plastic Free July participants tell us they prefer durable materials such as stainless steel.

Most people keep their bottle in a handy location so they remember it. If you accidentally forget, you can always:

drink from a water fountain,
ask a cafe for a glass of water or
make do in the workplace with a mug or clean jar.

Taking the next steps:

Encouraging others to get into the reusable water bottle habit can be easily achieved by simply starting conversations at your workplace, event, gym, school or university about alternatives to plastic water bottles. Prepare yourself with info on how to make a difference via Plastic Free July’s founder Rebecca Prince Ruiz’s blog.

Suggesting refill stations at a local government or business level helps to normalise choosing reusables.

Supporting festivals and events that have BYO-bottle and water-bottle hire initiatives.

Remembering your reusable bottle when travelling is a great way to share the plastic-free message around the world.

The impact

Reusable water bottles reduce marine debris, protect our wildlife from the dangers of plastic water bottles and caps, remove rubbish on the beach and create a new normal.
Despite many people making the switch, plastic beverage bottles and plastic bottle caps were in the top five items collected globally through beach cleanups and other initiatives as recorded in Ocean Conservancy’s 2022 annual report. You can access the full report here.