Since the beginning of 2020, I have yet to purchase a water bottle made from plastic. This has taught me several lessons that will make it even easier to avoid plastic in the coming months.
After several weeks of testing this at work and shopping around the town, the capstone came during a transit by air. Prior to security, I quickly chugged the last remaining bit before placing it in the security tub to show that it was no longer full of liquid.
Coming out of security, I looked for the first water fountain. Fortunately, this time, I was also able to use a Priority Pass to get access to a lounge. Instead of filling up a cup, I filled my water bottle with fancy sparkling water and my travel my mug with tea. The hot tea did become a bit tricky in the squished seat on the plane, so next time I’ll ask the attendant to fill it up after the meal.
1. Refusing to buy plastic makes you plan ahead.
I was touring Tel Aviv by foot, walking several miles through different neighborhoods. I was carrying a side bag which kept my water bottle. After several hours, the water was gone and I was standing in line to order some local BBQd pita sandwich in a local’s favorite hole-in-the-wall.
They then asked if we wanted to buy a drink with the food.
I peered into the refrigerated cabinet, seeing plastic bottles filled with sods and water. It was very tempting to reach in to refill my empty bottle. I had told my friend about my challenge and could see the look of thirst on his expression while he also declined to take a bottle.
While we were thirsty on the walk back to the hotel, I was even more determined to carry enough water with me to last a little longer, or at least be prepared to think and find a source of public water on the walk.
2. Carrying a reusable water bottle means that you can refill with the extra water at a restaurant.
Many restaurants in Europe do not automatically bring you water like they do in the United States. This makes sense when thinking back to how many pitchers and glasses of water that I’ve left untouched at the table. Here in Germany, it is also just as likely that someone will order beer instead of water.
While this means that we usually have to pay for a bottle or two, it’s usually a higher quality of still or sparkling water. Having a water bottle with me ensures that I can take the extra home with me. And when we don’t have to pay, it’s still good to refill so that the water doesn’t go to waste.
3. It motivates you to drink more water in the morning to get ahead of thirst later in the day.
In the past, I woke up to drink a cup of coffee in the process of rushing in to work. Not only does this lead to more dehydration, I don’t even think to find a water fountain until it’s nearly lunch.
As I gave up the convenience of finding disposable water bottles at every turn, I started making several cups of tea in the morning, letting them cool while I get dressed, and sipping them gently while reading the news.
Not only does this help with hydration, but I like to think the herbal teas are doing something good too.
4. You fill several bottles for a backup plan
For the last year, I’ve kept a hardy water bottle at work. Notice I didn’t say “re-usable” while would imply that at some point in the near future that it will find it’s way to the trash. The bottle at work is kept on my desk and refilled throughout the day. The only remaining problem left is that I seem to forget it throughout the building when I walk and talk with colleagues. If it helps to make it individually distinguishable, it can be also fun to collect an array of stickers to personalize the surface.
I also started keeping another hard bottle in my car, ensuring that I have a supply when the traffic kicks up, especially the infamous traffic blocks that can happen on the German autobahn when an accident occurs.
And finally, of course, it’s important to put a water bottle next to the bed.
5. On a flight, you can usually get more water than they regularly serve.
I find that flying makes me feel both dehydrated and bloated. With shoelaces buttoned, I often wonder how my feet had made it into the shoe when they felt so swollen. After a hostess filled my entire water bottle up (they’re usually more willing on the second round), I found that by drinking more water during the flight, I didn’t feel as swollen and bloated when we landed.
It also helped that I had water left over for the ride from the airport to hotel, where I could resupply with fancy fruit-infused water from the lobby.
6. You find ways to re-use bottles for water instead of the trash.
I was once surprised to sit down at a Mexican restaurant to find the waiter bring a bottle of Tequila to the table. It turned out to be much less expensive, filled with water instead of alcohol. But we chuckled at the thought nonetheless.
Now, when we finish a bottle of scotch, the glass bottle easily serves as a temporary water bottle, with several more uses available prior to sending a box of glass to the recycling bin.
Waunder 