Non-Profit Eco Canteen Makes Cheap, Affordable Reusable Stainless Steel Water Bottles
Editor’s note: Please read the comments below. This company has come under scrutiny by consumers.
I’ve been noticing more and more people from all walks of life using metal water bottles. At about half the price of other stainless steel water bottles, non-profit Eco Canteen’s mission is to get as many people as possible off of bottled water, since 80% of plastic water bottled are not recycled. Of the plastic water bottles that do make it to the recycling center, 40% of them end up in China or Indonesia.
Here are some staggering statistics about the detrimental environmental effects of plastic water bottles:
- 2.5 million disposable water bottles are thrown away in the US every hour.
- In 2007, $16 billion was spent on bottled water.
- 20 oz. of bottled water costs almost as much as a gallon of gas.
- Discarded plastic water bottles take 700 to 1,000 years to break down.
- A 20 oz. bottle of water takes 5 oz. of oil to produce and ship.
- Dioxin, one of the deadliest air pollutants, is created when unrecyclable PVC is separated from PET/PETE #1 plastic water bottles and then incinerated.
Switching to a reusable stainless steel water bottle is a simple step your family can take to be greener.
There are complains all over the web about these guys, so I would be wary of promoting them. As soon as I heard about the complaints, I removed all references to them from my own site. Just an FYI.
David, could you provide more info? I did a quick google search and didn’t see anything. I am curious to hear what the complaints are.
http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/02/eco-canteen-product-review/
http://www.complaints.com/Eco-Canteen-205523/Eco-Canteen-Massive-Ripoff-205523.html
Those are just a few. I took the post and complaints off my own site already.
The info and statistics are good, thank you. I was unaware of the issue addressed by the above comments, but will look into it. Either way, we do need to reduce the use of disposable plastic water bottles.
Thanks David for the links. Anyone wishing to purchase the Eco Canteen should be cautious about shipping costs.
A better solution can be found at http://www.eco-connectbottle.com
This company is NOT a non-profit! This company also does not manufacture their water bottles. They buy them from a promotional company.
http://www.kleankanteen.com/
I can personally highly recommend the Klean Kanteen line of water bottles. I have a a 27oz and my younger brothers have 18oz-ers. The build quality is excellent, including the caps. Which you can get Sports, Loop, Flat, and even sippy for the younger children. The lids that are included are plastic on the inside, however you can still buy the stainless steel lids if you want.
They are more expensive than the crap ones you see in Wal-Mart but it is well worth it. From the website:
“From the get go, we shared some of the concerns our customers have expressed about manufacturing in China. However, after much time and research into manufacturing options, we found that by making Klean Kanteens in China we could provide a handcrafted product of exceptional quality at a reasonable price. So, before a single Kanteen was ever crafted, we set about placing prudent checks and balances in place to ensure that our products are produced safely and sustainably, and that the people making Klean Kanteens are treated well and paid fairly.”
The Ecocanteen company is presently in hot water with consumer groups. They have defrauded hundreds of online buyers with excessive charges and non-delivery of product. The bottles are also made in China so the quality of the steel and possible coatings on the metal are unknown. Seek better alternatives, like the trusty Klean Kanteen for one.
Paul, Klean Kanteens are made in China too, but they don’t have the consumer group problem of ecocanteen.