A reusable water bottle to reduce single-use plastics
The statistics about the whooping amounts of plastic that end up in the ocean do not cease to surprise us. Every year, 85 million PET bottles are used and discarded – and this says a lot about the consumer habits in modern society.It is urgent to adopt more sustainable habits and routines, and an excellent starting point is to reduce the quantity of single-use plastics we use on a daily basis.
The ECO concept comes forward as an innovative project in Portugal, making available not only reusable water bottles but also filtered water stations, with the aim of promoting more conscious consumer habits – starting with something as essential as the water we drink.
ECO: more than just reusable water bottles
ECO provides reusable water bottles with an exclusive design, but this movement goes beyond being able to reuse a water bottle for a minimum of 18 months.
How does ECO work?
The premise is simple: reducing the amount of single-use plastics, especially of water bottles. After purchasing the ECO reusable water bottle, the consumer can head to a refill station in one of Pingo Doce stores and fill their bottle with filtered water. This eliminates the need to buy disposable water bottles or jugs every other day.
What exactly is filtered water?
The water available at ECO stations goes through a three-step filtering process before it reaches your reusable water bottle: on a first step, the mains water is filtered through a sediment filter that captures impurities and microplastics; secondly, the water goes through an activated carbon filter that retains various chemicals, while removing that odd water taste or odour; finally, the water is sterilized with UV light.
How can I wash the ECO reusable water bottle?
The ECO water bottle must be handwashed in lukewarm water, and an adequate mild detergent may be used. It is important to thoroughly rinse the bottle after washing. The ECO bottle must not be washed with hot water nor in the dish washing machine.
Reusing ECO: a sustainable habit
Opting for the ECO concept has evident advantages that go beyond the filtered water, sustainability-wise. With this reusable water bottle, one can dramatically reduce waste and the amount of single-use plastics. This is because every time you refill a 3L ECO water bottle, you will be avoiding the waste of up to nine common disposable water bottles. Isn’t it a wholesome contribution for a cleaner planet?
The ECO bottle data in this article was updated in June 2023.