The Dirty Truth About Reusable Water Bottles in 2024
New survey reveals the stinking reasons inside why we regularly replace our bottles
SACRAMENTO, Calif., November 1, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Ever Vessel, a reusable water bottle start-up, commissioned a survey of over 3,000 Americans aged 21-60 on reusable water bottle habits. The survey was conducted by Statista® in September. The results shine a light on how widely reusable bottles have been adopted, why people are frequently replacing them, and the ongoing struggle to keep them clean.
Reusable water bottles are meant to be the sustainable, eco-friendly answer to reducing single-use plastic waste, but a new survey reveals we are replacing them at a concerning rate. The majority of us (85%) are now using reusable water bottles. However, the difficulty in keeping them clean and odor-free is the main reason more than half of us replace them within the first year.
Our Love Affair with Reusable Bottles
First, the good news: 85% of us own and use a reusable water bottle, which shows just how far sustainability awareness has come. We also own an average of four reusable bottles each. In fact, 36% own five or more showing that a single bottle isn’t enough for most people. This suggests that people want different features or styles to suit their lifestyle or keep up with fashion trends.
Bottles Are Replaced Frequently—But Why?
While we clearly value reusable bottles, we’re not holding onto them for long. Over 51% of users replace their bottle within a year, and 32% replace them within just six months. Despite being marketed as reusable and sustainable, bottles aren’t sticking around for long. The reason? Hygiene. A notable 40% of users say they’ve replaced their bottle due to odor and hygiene concerns. If you’ve ever scrubbed a reusable water bottle and still felt uncertain about how clean it was, you’re not alone.
Cleaning Bottles is a Real Pain for Most People
Many of us watched the viral videos showing the shocking side of reusable bottles too—think mold hidden in straws and lids. When it comes to the root cause of these odors and hygiene concerns, cleaning them is the primary issue. 56% of users stated that cleaning their bottles is difficult and time-consuming.
Owner and head of product development at water bottle startup Ever Vessel, Tim Bligh, believes good design and quality material like 18/8 stainless-steel are important factors in extending the life of reusable bottles.
“Keeping your bottle clean and odor free shouldn’t be that hard. Whilst many households use a dishwasher regularly, many water bottles are not dishwasher safe and have crevices that are extremely difficult to clean,” said Tim.
“Focussing on designs that facilitate safe and reliable cleaning is really important to reducing the replacement rate,” Tim stated.
The effort and frustration in keeping reusable bottles clean is limiting the potential lifetime of these products.
Source: Ever Vessel
