One of the worst culprits of single-use plastic waste are plastic water bottles that are discarded as soon as the drink has been finished. According to campaigners, Ban the Bottle, plastic water bottles can take between 400 and 1,000 years to decompose. Furthermore, it takes three times the amount of water to produce a plastic bottle than it does to fill one.
But many clever and eco-conscious people are coming up with great ways to combat the problem.
One of these is 27-year-old James Longcroft who has invented a 100% plastic-free biodegradable water bottle, called Choose Water. And the best bit is the bottle decomposes within just three weeks.
The environmentally-friendly paper alternative to the destructive plastic bottle will also not leave any microfibres in the ecosystem, which can enter the food chain and harm sea life. Made from sustainable materials, the bottles don’t use fossil fuels for their creation and are not harmful to the environment when degraded.
Profits from sales of Choose Water will go to the charity Water for Africa.
The Choose Water website states: “No matter where these bottles end up, whether if it’s in the ocean or in landfill they are gone within a few months. They don’t leave behind toxic microparticles, or leach heavy metals into the environment.”
What is the bottle made from?
Steel cap – this rusts down into iron oxide, a naturally occurring mineral.
Outer casing – this part of the bottle is made from 100% recycled paper.
Inside lining – made from 100% natural materials, which are good for marine and soil environments.
Now, to prove that we don’t need plastic anymore, Durham University chemistry graduate, James, has set up a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. He hopes to source £25,000 to boost the bottles’ scale of production.
He has already secured £19,770 raised by 273 backers, meaning he’s hit 79% of his target so far.
“We have all seen recently the damage plastic is having on our planet, our new bottle was developed to provide an alternative for consumers,” James told Country Living Online.
“No matter where our bottle ends up whether it is in the landfill or in the ocean, it will break down into completely non-toxic materials. With the public’s support we can get our bottles onto shelves and plastic out of the oceans!”
Eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans each year, according to environment group, Earth Day, so it’s hugely important we all do our bit in contributing to the war on plastic.
