In the fight against climate change, people are looking to more sustainable alternatives to plastic. Plastic has truthfully been a convenience to our products, offering a water-proof, air-tight seal for our product packaging, durability for toys and gadgets, and more.
But now it’s time to say goodbye to plastic, as we now understand the dangers of this material to our health and to the environment. The big plastic problem is a pressing issue in our current landscape, and businesses, too, are shifting to sustainable materials over plastic ones.
One of the readily-available solutions for sustainable packaging is aluminum. The metal has been around longer than plastic was widely used, and is now making a comeback to replace plastic bottles used for water and other beverages. Using aluminum over plastic has its benefits, and aluminum bottled water with custom labels can be used as a marketing tool as well!
1. Aluminum bottles are sustainable
For one, aluminum is a sustainable material, and has been proven to be truly sustainable unlike the “eco-friendly” materials that some companies claim to be beneficial to the environment, but are actually more harmful to the environment than plastic is.
Aluminum bottles, however, are completely sustainable when recycled, using only 5% of the energy and resources it takes to mine new aluminum. Most recycling facilities accept aluminum bottles, while not all would accept paper straws, cups, and takeout containers. Aluminum also does not leach harmful chemicals into the environment when degrading.
2. Aluminum bottles are recyclable
Aluminum is a naturally-mined metal that is endlessly recyclable. In fact, the stark majority of aluminum ever produced is still in circulation today as the material is continuously being recycled into different products like aluminum cooking foil, aluminum bottles, and aluminum trays for cooking and baking!
Even though aluminum is used mostly in the food and beverage industry, it has uses in other fields as well. Aluminum material that is no longer suitable for food and beverage purposes is being used to create tools, as well as jewelry, and to exterminate large colonies of fire ants, termites, and other ground-burrowing insects from lawns.
3. Aluminum bottles can be reused
Other than being recycled into new products, aluminum can also be reused over and over again without any harmful effects. Even as aluminum bottles are dented, scratched, or scraped, as long as the bottle can hold liquids well, it can be continuously used with no problems.
Aluminum bottles can also be reused for other purposes, such as storing small trinkets, as a vessel for drained cooking oil, or even as a salt and pepper shaker when holes are drilled on the cap. Aluminum bottles are completely reusable and versatile. Keep your aluminum bottles cleaned and in good condition, and they can be reused over and over again.
4. Aluminum bottles don’t leach chemicals
Aluminum bottles, as we’ve mentioned, do not leach harmful or toxic chemicals into the environment nor to your body. When you drink water from an aluminum bottle, you drink only the pure, unaltered water from mountain springs, or mineral sources.
This is the opposite of plastic bottles, which have been found to leach carcinogens into the liquids it holds, especially when heated. As plastic starts to biodegrade in landfills, they also leach out toxic chemicals into the soil, causing stress on the earth. Plastic bottles can affect wildlife as well, and leach chemicals that inhibit the growth of plants.
5. Aluminum bottles can serve both hot and cold drinks
One of the best perks of an aluminum water bottle? It’s ability to serve drinks both hot and cold! Unlike plastic bottles, aluminum can be heated before serving, giving the material a unique property to serve warm water instead of cold water. This makes the packaging perfect for those days where the weather is too cold out, or when you simply prefer warm water over cold water.
Aluminum bottles can also serve cold drinks like any plastic bottle, but keep drinks cold longer as the aluminum material creates a wall of insulation for the liquid inside. As a result, the water stays cold for a longer period of time when compared to a plastic bottle, and consumers can enjoy their ice-cold drink longer!
Article Submitted By Community Writer
