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It’s easy to grab a water bottle on the go without thinking about its impact. You’re thirsty and plastic water bottles are sold everywhere. They’re cheap too. With 1,000,000 plastic water bottles sold every minute, it’s accurate to say that plastic water bottles have become a part of our everyday lives. But, with the rise in searches for sustainable and eco-friendly, more consumers are questioning the status quo, because we’re learning that single-use plastic isn’t doing our planet any good. “But, it’s really hard to change habits,” admits Benjamin Kander, founder of Welly Bottles. A few years ago, he launched his first reusable water bottle as a way to help people change one habit to solve one big environmental problem- avoid buying plastic water bottles.
Even with a sleek design and burgeoning sales from retailers like Anthropologie, Ben isn’t content just to create a nice-looking resuable product. After losing his mom- an entrepreneur and philanthropist- at the age of twenty-two, he sought to continue her legacy. “We realize as a brand that we can make a difference- reusable products, donating sales, featuring women of color because of pervasive social injustice on our society.” Ben explains.
Trying to solve environmental problems by giving consumers options to change their habits isn’t easy. “It’s a tough balance to figure out how to make a difference,” Ben admits. But, he also fully believes in the impact his reusable water bottles are making. “Helping people who are struggling in a completely different way than we understand unless we see it. is a part of our mission. We’re certain our products can make a change.”
Plastic Water Bottles = Fracking
We live on a planet with limited resources. But, we don’t think about the next or 3-5 generations beyond us.
In the 1950s, water was sold in glass bottles. But, when the lightweight, cheap and durable thermoplastic polyethylene was introduced onto the market, it quickly became the go-to choice for manufacturers. Yet, just as it quickly went from being a miracle material it went to being the subject of toxic waste.
Polyethylene is sourced from crude oil through a process called fracking. Most likely you’ve heard of this technique. What you may not have heard is that it requires 1.5 – 16 million million gallons of water for a single well to extract fossil fuels. And, often times that water becomes contaminated with chemicals and oil spills that pose a threat to local environments, wildlife and residents. Adding to the contamination is the emission of methane, nitrogen oxide and other air contaminants during this procedure.
Plastic In Landfills Releases Toxins For Hundreds of Years
The end life of a plastic water bottle isn’t any better. Globally we’re buying 1 million plastic bottles every minute and recycling less than 10%. Many of these bottles can take 400 years to decompose in landfills while emitting harmful gases that can lead to global warming and whose chemical composition contaminates the surrounding soil and ground water.
If you look under the lid of a Welly reusable water bottle or mug you’ll find that there is a thin circle of plastic. Ben explains that they do use BPA plastic and a silicone pad in their designs. But, with an understanding the environmental impact of plastic his team is working on removing and replacing the plastics with more environmentally friendly materials. “We hope our customers will support and appreciate those initiatives,” he says of the change. “Our goal is to remove plastics altogether.”
Bamboo Grows Fast & Is Biodegradable
In college Ben studied sustainable business. Through research he found that the environmental benefits of bamboo far outweigh the convenience of plastic. “Bamboo grows so quickly. So, instead of taking tress which grow slower, we choose to use bamboo,” Ben explains. Snoop around the Guinness World Records and you’ll find that the genera bamboo plant is the world’s fastest growing plant growing 35 inches daily. Even the 1,000 of different bamboo species grow to their full height within 3-4 months versus the standard tree which can take 30+ years to grow. And, despite it’s fast growth, bamboo needs little water and can grow without the aid of pesticides or fertilizers.
Bamboo is also lightweight and durable. Similar to plastic water bottles, bamboo products can last for several years. And, when it’s time to throw them away, bamboo is biodegradable meaning that it will completely break down within 3 years versus the hundreds of years that it can take for plastic to decompose.
Steel Lasts Longer & Decomposes
One of the environmental benefits of steel is that we generally hold onto these products longer. While we’re conditioned to throw away a single-use plastic water bottle, throwing out a reusable water bottle made of steel doesn’t happen until the product’s ready to kick the bucket. When it comes to disposing of steel it is 100% recyclable. Even if it does end up in landfills it will decompose within 50 years.
Where It’s Made Can Make A Positive Difference
The responsibility falls on everyone- the big corporations, the smaller brands and the consumers. When we all work together that’s how we make change.
“The bottles are made in China.” Ben explains that his first step when seeking manufacturers was to make sure that they had the proper fair labor and trade certifications. “I personally went there and saw that a bell rang at 5 pm and everyone went home. It’s important to see that only people of age are working and that they’re getting the right pay.” Ben also notes that while auditing factories for sustainable practices as a small brand plays an important role in the long run, he noticed that larger brands with larger quotas have a lot more sway when it comes to pressuring factories to adopt practices like recycling water or using recycled stainless steel. “We produce in a factory that works with larger retailers that have forced them to have sustainability audits,” he explains. “All of these manufacturers have been forced into fair labor practices.”
Everyone Should Have Access To Clean Water
Imagine if you didn’t have water. It’s crazy to think that in this world. One of the brand’s biggest initiatives is helping to ensure that as many people as possible have access to clean water.”
If you go onto the Welly website you’ll notice that 1% of sales go to Charity Water. The non-profit develops projects that ensure that under privileged communities have access to clean water. For full transparency, Ben has it set up so that, “each product will have a code to see where your money go. As a customer we want you to feel that impact.” That means that your money isn’t just going to a charity. It’s going to a charity that will show you how it’s using the funds for a specific project. “For instance we want to keep you up to date on the process of drilling a well and how it really impacts women and daughters the most- they are the ones who are often times the ones getting water.” Ben explains a few of the projects going on in Malawi and Bangladesh where he’ll soon visit with a videographer to tell the story. “These wells allow women to go to school. It gives them a new avenue and economic opportunities.”
Beyond Ben’s desire to combat our single-use plastic habits and the world’s dire water problems, Ben is also collaborating with artists- most often women of color- to design limited edition bottles whose proceeds will benefit a charity of their choice. As Ben puts it, he’s creating more than just a reusable water bottle brand. He’s changing behaviors and creating positive change. “I know that we as a team can make a difference.”
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