It’s summertime!  That means go outside and enjoy the sun!

While we love being under the elements, it’s common sense to stay hydrated to keep your cool out there.  Just in time, CWOCA is here to help you quench your thirst for green alternatives to buying plastic water bottles from the supermarket.

First some facts on bottled water:

-More than 47 million gallons of oil is needed to produce plastic water bottles for Americans every year.

-Less than 25% of plastic bottles were recycled in 2007 and as a result became litter.  The percentage is rising slowly annually however.

-There is no guarantee that bottled water is safer than tap water.

Knowing these facts is extra incentive to carrying around stylish eco-friendly “water accessories”.  (Note: All of the bottles listed below are BPA-free; a good thing because BPA has been known to have adverse effects on health)

The KOR ONE Hydration Vessel is as much a futuristic piece of art as it is a water bottle.  It even has a “KOR Stone” in the cap for a personalized message.  The hinged cap is designed not to hit your face and the bottle is made from a new material called Tritan which is basically recyclable.  In addition, KOR is a member of 1% For the Planet and donates 1% of sales to participating environmental groups that focus on water-related issues.

Green Bottle offers a plethora of design and color choices in standard-looking 20oz and 25oz bottles.

We all know that the Swiss make quality products.  Sigg is no different.  With a simple clean design and being “virtually unbreakable”, the craftsmanship and 100 years of experience behind this bottle speaks for itself and should not disappoint.  Sigg is also a member of 1% For the Planet.

You might know the name CamelBak, but maybe not in this design.  Its called the Better Bottle.  I guess better because it can be frozen or heated up and has no residual taste.  CamelBak claims “People drank 24% more water with a CamelBak^® reusable water bottle than with other reusable and disposable bottles”.  Like the KOR ONE, this bottle is also made out of Tritan.

The Klean Kanteen comes in many different sizes as you can see above.  Well priced and a klean design (sorry I couldn’t resist) should make this bottle accessible for all who are eco-conscious.

Everyone has probably heard of or owned a Nalgene bottle.  I always thought these bottles were the coolest looking except for the plastic taste and smell, but apparently they have upgraded their materials so now it shouldn’t have that anymore.

Skip the Brita step.  EcoUsable has created “The world’s only Environmentally Safe Stainless Filtered Water Bottle”.

Finally, not really in the same category as the bottles above, I had to include these super funky bottles aimed at children as a low-calorie, vitamin-packed alternative to sugary drinks from Y Water.  Conceived by Yves Béhar, these bottles can be linked together to form DNA-like structures as toys to teach kids about recycling, or be sent back to the company to be recycled.

Hope these bottles inspire you to stop buying the throw-away kind and to stay quenched in style this summer.

Some more facts about plastic and recycling.

Via Treehugger

Via Inhabitots

Via PlanetGreen

Via InteriorDesign

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