Glass Water Bottle | greenUPGRADER

8 by Becky Striepe on February 29, 2012

Just last week we showed you how to turn a Mason jar into a to go cup for hot drinks, but what about when you're toting plain old water? Obviously, you don't want to buy bottled water when you're on the go, because it's crazily overpriced and comes with all sorts of environmental and ethical issues. So, what's the busy eco-ista to do?

Reusable plastic water bottles definitely have their benefits. They're lightweight, usually easy to clean, and they can take a beating at the bottom of your purse. The problem with plastic bottles is that they're made from plastic. Not only does that mean they're a petroleum product, but chances are they're leaching some nasty stuff into your water. Even if your bottle is BPA free, plastic contains a host of other chemicals, and there are suspicions that the plasticizers companies are using to replace BPA aren't much better from a health standpoint.

Metal bottles can be a pain to clean, but at least you're avoiding the plastic in contact with your water, right? Not really. To keep your metal bottles from giving you water a metallic taste, companies tend to coat them with - you guessed it! - plastic.

That's where the glass water bottle comes in. Glass doesn't leach into your drink, and there are no coatings to worry about. You can stick glass bottles right in the dishwasher. Heck, you don't even have to go out and buy a fancy one like in my photo at the top there. In fact, reusing something is way greener than my store-bought glass bottle that's encased for some reason in plastic. Here are a couple of ideas for how to get a glass water bottle without shelling out the bucks:

Next time you get a single-serving glass bottle of juice or sodapop at the store, just stick it in the dishwasher. Voila!
You can also use a straight up Mason jar to tote you water.

No need to buy anything special or spend $10-$15 on a fancy pants bottle. You probably have a jar in your pantry that you can start toting water in right this moment, if you want. Do any of you guys use a glass water bottle? Is it store bought, or did you repurpose it?

http://Allielarkin.com Allie

I use a glass 1liter soda bottle as a water bottle at home and in the car. I wouldn’t want to lug one that big around all the time, but having a big water bottle reminds me to stay hydrated when I’m working, keeps me from filling the dishwasher with glasses, and keeps my dogs from trying to “share” my water with me. I would like a smaller one for travel. I hate handwashing my metal bottle.
http://theemspace.tumblr.com Megan

It hasn’t come in yet, but I bought the Bamboo Bottle Co.’s bottle off of Fab just the other day. The bottle itself is glass, and the outer protective layer is bamboo. There are a couple little plastic elements to it, but it has less plastic than other glass bottles with protective covers.

http://www.bamboobottleco.com/
http://without-a-map.com April in Autumn

I usually just use my Nalgene bottle for toting around (glass is heavy!), but if I need a lot of water, instead of buying one of those plastic gallon bottles, I’ll fill one of my beer growlers.
http://www.myofficeisthekitchen.blogspot.com Wendy

I use repurposed glass bottles to tote water around.
http://the-conscious-consumer.com Samantha RickerGoad

I’ve been using old glass jars for water for about 4 years now. I got rid of all our glasses and we just wash & keep all our jars and use them for drinking water, beer, tea, milk, etc. I also use them for food storage instead of tupperware.
Amara Russell

I Love the glass VOSS water bottles form Norway – the one liter bottle fits in any standard cup holder; the 12.6oz (375ml) bottle fits in a medium size purse. A small initial investment and excellent for reusing indefinitely…they’re unique and perfect.
Sophie

I also have the Ello glass water bottle (as in your picture) and its great! I use it all day long. Glass is so much better than plastic or metal. It’s easier to clean and water tastes so
good from it! I got the blue one from Target for way less than the others in the specialty stores. Try it and you will love it too!
UnsolicitedScience

All of my “reuse” glass jars find alternate uses in my house before I get the chance to commandeer them, so I bought a “fancy” glass water bottle with the silicone* jacket.

I find the jacket helps me keep from leaving condensation rings everywhere and gives me a better grip on an otherwise slippery bottle when I have to pull it out of my backpack. It’s a lot easier for me to pack around on my commute (yay, public transportation!) than mason jars.
*”In fact, reusing something is way greener than my store-bought glass bottle that’s encased for some reason in plastic.” Easy there, cowgirl; silicone rubber is a different beast than plastic! It’s friendlier to the environment and the body.