Reusable Bottles

As much as I’d like to say that you only need one water bottle, my experience has proven otherwise! Sometimes you need different bottles for different occasions and different weather conditions. With that in mind, here are my top choices of reusable bottles:

Vacuum Insulated Bottles

A cold drink in the summer is a must – as is a hot drink when it’s freezing or you’re not feeling well. A vacuum insulated bottle is an absolute lifesaver during these times and there are many amazing brands now offering lightweight reusable bottles that won’t break your shoulder.

S’well

S’well is a trusted brand with bottles, travellers, tumbler mugs and various other models. They have some cute designs and a triple-insulation design that keeps drinks cold for 36 hours and hot for 18 hours.

Available from Thorn & Burrow

24 Bottles

24 Bottles understands that good aesthetics can help people adopt healthier habits, and this Bologna-born brand is now sold across the globe. They have an insulated water bottle and cup line in printed designs, mattes and metallic finishes. There’s even the option to engrave your bottle and make it even more personalised.

Available from Slowood

Foldable Water Bottles

There’s no denying that water bottles take up space, which is why you need a collapsible bottle in your life! They’re perfect for backpackers, runners or just about anyone who doesn’t like carrying a bulky water bottle but still wants something to hand.

Nomader

The Nomader collapsible water bottle was born out of a frequent traveller’s need for a bottle that’s durable and easy to carry. Their bottles are freezable, heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe, plus they offer a lifetime warranty.

Available from Amazon

Vapur

Designed for those with active lifestyles, Vapur call themselves an “anti-bottle”. Their foldable bottles are 87 percent lighter than regular bottles and are dishwasher safe. They offer several different foldable bottle designs, ranging from 0.5l to 1.5l capacity, and even have a specific line designed for pets. Meanwhile, their 300ml “Incognito” line was designed as a modern-day flask for carrying alcohol!

Available from Vapur

Hiking Water Bottles

If you’re going on a proper adventure, you might want something more than a foldable water bottle – and there are several speciality bottles that make an even better fit for hiking.

LifeStraw

The LifeStraw bottle is a popular hiking companion because it allows you to refill from rivers and lakes without having to worry about catching a bug. The straw has a filter that not only protects against bacteria and parasites, but also from organic chemicals, chlorine, microplastics, dirt and sand. Even better, each LifeStraw bottle sold provides safe water for a child in need for a year, thanks to the company’s Give Back programme.

Available from APA Outdoor Shop

Reusable Bubble Tea Cups & Coffee Cups

If you’re a bubble tea lover, you should really think about getting a dedicated reusable bubble tea cup. All those single-use plastic cups and straws can really add up and there are now plenty of reusable cups that can still show off your drink, giving you that typical BBT experience.

Elephant Cuppa

Elephant Cuppa hails from Taiwan, just like our beloved bubble tea drink. It has a built-in slit and comes with two straw sizes for boba and regular drinks. The wide mouth and leakproof lid makes it easy to clean, and it’s surprisingly lightweight too.

Available from Elephant Cuppa

Reusable BBT Cup

The Reusable BBT Cup is a Vancouver-based company founded by a couple who loves bubble tea. They have three designs: the original, bamboo lid and leak-proof insulated cup. Their shipping is plastic-free and the cups are made-to-order, which does slightly lengthen processing and shipping time but ensures minimal waste along the way.

Available from Reusable BBT Cup

See also: 8 Reusable Bubble Tea Bottles for Your Boba Addiction

Where to find water refill stations in Hong Kong

Now that you’re armed with the perfect reusable water bottle, you just need to find a water source to refill your bottle. Here are some helpful apps and websites for finding refill locations wherever you are:

Water For Free: The Water for Free app collects and lists all the water fountain locations across the whole of Hong Kong.

Tap: Tap has a database of over 50,000 water refill points across 7,300 cities around the world.

Refill: Refill is a UK-based app with a global map of places offering free water refills, plus coffee shops that give discounts for bringing your own cup.

See also: Where to Refill Your Water Bottle in Hong Kong

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We’ve all heard the incriminating facts about plastic, which include clogging up our oceans, killing wildlife, and impacting all levels of the food chain. What’s more – the issue of plastic pollution is not a localised problem, but a global one.

According to the UN Environment Programme, plastic pollution soared from two million tonnes in 1950, to 348 million tonnes in 2017, becoming a global industry valued at $522.6 billion. It is expected to double in capacity, by 2040.

At a meeting of the UN Environmental Assembly in Nairobi last week, 175 UN member states agreed to start international negotiations on drawing up a global plastics treaty, which would set rules on the production, usage and disposal of plastics. The treaty is planned to come into effect in 2024, with legally binding rules and regulations.

Similarly to the Paris Agreement on climate change, the proposed plastic pollution treaty is described by conservation organisation WWF as one of the world’s most ambitious environmental actions since the 1989 Montreal Protocol, which helped phase out ozone-depleting substances.

“Today we wrote history. Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic,” said Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s minister for environment and climate and the assembly’s president. “With today’s resolution we are officially on track for a cure.”

What you can do

As a consumer, you can still do your part in helping to reduce plastic pollution. From refusing single-use cutlery on your next delivery order to bringing your own coffee cup and water bottle around town, every action – big or small – helps!

Read more: 8 simple swaps for single-use plastics

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The post Good News: UN Countries To Create Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution appeared first on 8Shades.