Thankfully there has been a huge shift away from single-use plastic but we still need help. Today San Francisco airport banned single-use water bottles! The city of San Francisco banned the sale of plastic water bottles on city-owned property back in 2014, but allowed delays and granted certain exemptions. The new rule comes into effect on 20 August, and is part of a five-year plan to lower landfill waste, net carbon emissions and net energy use to zero. Filtered water is provided for free at 100 “hydration stations,” where flyers can top up reusable bottles.
The bottled water market globally is rapidly growing with approximate 600 million households consuming bottled water in 2018. That’s more than 100 billion gallons (391 Billion litres) of water per year or 1 million bottles per minute.
This statistic displays the annual consumption of plastic bottles in the Netherlands as of 2017, by type of bottle. Combined, around 1.4 billion plastic bottles per year are consumed in the Netherlands, with 53 percent being small bottles. On average, 80 plastic bottles are consumed per person per year in the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands and in our community, there are about six pubic water refill stations right here in the city centre. There is also a larger push for some shops and restaurants to allow the public to use their taps to refill their water bottles if they have this openbare drinkwatertappunten sticker on their window.
FREE DRINKING WATER TAPS IN DEN BOSCH
In Den Bosch Center I know of six main free public tabs at the Train station, Stads Park, Arena, Markt, Parade and Hinthamereinde and then at these private locations:
- SwapFiets
- The Green Bar
- Art Den Bosch
- Proeflokaal ‘T Paultje
- Ricky’s Barber & Shop
- Bossche Brouwers
FREE DRINKING WATER TAPS IN THE NETHERLANDS
I just found another website which shows even more FREE WATER TAPS all over the Netherlands. So as long as you bring your bottle in your bag, you have no reason to need to buy a plastic bottle of water.
On the flip side it’s often difficult to get a restaurant to give you kranwater (water from the tap) in a pitcher or by the glass at the table. In my recent experience, I learned that many American’s living here in the Netherlands find this absurd and complain about it, but the restaurants don’t want to give up the revenue they are making on you buying the expensive bottled water. I will add that we hardly ever ask for tap water – only if it’s the end of our meal and the kids are thirsty and we ask for a single glass of water for the kids – the waitresses tend to offer it.
GLASS BOTTLE – MY PAST EXPERIENCE
I personally prefer to drink of out a glass – so when I was back in the US last year I bought myself a Lifefactory Glass Bottle with the plastic outside. It was heavy, it had loads of condensation on the outside, but I liked the glass part. Glass doesn’t keep water quite as cool for quite as long as stainless steel either. Sadly, I dropped it on the sidewalk and the entire bottle SHATTERED!! Gutted as I spent $25 on it and loved it. And here I was warning the kids about being careful with my bottle – and the adult dropped the bottle.
OUR KIDS USE WATER BOTTLES DAILY AT SCHOOL
Last year, our kids had the BPA free, plastic Dopper water bottles for school – but by the time lunch rolled around their previously cold drinks were lukewarm and condensation was all over the outside of their bottles so that meant their papers and anything in their school bags became damp too. So over the summer, we talked about getting them both new bottles for back to school. But most importantly – not just stainless bottles – but insulated bottles.
I had done some research online so I knew I wanted to see the Chilly Bottles and the new insulated Dopper – in a larger size. Both are just around the €30 mark and both are BPA free and insulated. We wanted to see them in person vs just buy them from the internet and hope for the best. There are few stores in our area which sell different bottles – Waar and WO! Concept Store. Both stores are lovely and are my go-to stores for gifts. In fact, yesterday I bought my SIL a Kletspot for her birthday at WO! I have to get in and out quickly as I love to buy everything for myself 🙂
WHAT WE BOUGHT
Our 11 year old son was eyeing a Bamboo bottle which had a tea infuser inside, which to me was more suitable for a middle aged office worker, but I know that would not work so well over time for my boy as it would most likely crack. So he ended up getting the large, 580 ml (20 oz) Dopper Insulated Blazing Black – perfect for him.
- Keeps his drink hot for 9 hours or cold for 24 hours.
- Dishwasher safe up to 65 °C / 149 °F
- BPA and phthalate free
- Not suitable for dairy drinks (I assume they are all this way)
- Because the middle of his bottle opens and the top is a cup, the I can fit ice cubes into it, so he will have extra cold ice water.
Our 9 year old daughter picked the Chilly’s Bottle 500 ml with AVOCADO’s on the outside – perfect for her. All things avocado print are all the rage for 9 & 10 year old girls. We didn’t buy a brush to clean it out but we might do so eventually but for now as we only use water, we’ll be fine.
- Keeps her drink hot for 12 hours or cold for 24 hours.
- Leakage & condensation free
- BPA free
- Not suitable to be put into the freezer nor refrigerator.
- As the top of the bottle opening is too small to fit regular ice cubes into it so we’ll have to buy special ice trays with skinny ice molds or fill it with the water from the bottle I keep in the fridge.
WHAT THEY THOUGHT
After the first day off school – both are very happy with their recent purchases. Both were very happy with how cold their water was and how large they were in capacity.
In fact, today when we visited the local kermis, I mentioned that I would not be buying them a plastic bottle of water so they both insisted we bring along their water bottles – guess who carried them – yep = moi!
WHAT’S NEXT?
This Mama needs a new bottle and I’m researching other bottles that I might want now that we have the Chilly Bottle and Dopper Insulated Blazing Black. Stay tuned for what I end up with…. I am 99.9% sure it will NOT be glass!!
So I saw one I liked CORKCIRCLE but the top was like the Chilly a bit skinny so normal ice cubes wouldn’t fit. I already have a small freezer here in the Netherlands and no space for additional set of ice cubes so that was out.
I saw the “Rolls Royce” of all glass bottles – the Glacce Crystal Elixir Water Bottle but at €80 – I’m not doing that! I don’t care what it claims to do…
So I ended up with the same as my 11 year old – but in WHITE. I love to have ice in my drink and it allows me to but large ice cubes in, it holds a lot of water and it looks good.
UPDATED: After about a week, M’s Chilly Bottle started tasting metallic so she didn’t want to use it any more. I googled it and found a way to clean it with vinegar and water overnight so I did it overnight and seem to do the trick . So far so good for her. The Doppers are still fine – no metallic taste! It helps that the top part is plastic so your mouth is not on the metals.
LOOK A NEW DOPPER – GLASS
Dopper Glass and it looks great and insulated!! – I just don’t trust myself but if I see it in the store going to have a close inspection. If the Chilly bottle turns out to not work for Miss M should it taste to metallic and she wants my Dopper (I offered it to her) I might have to get a replacement.
DON’T FORGET TO CLEAN IT
Any type of reusable water bottle should be washed after each use to avoid bacteria growing and spreading,. Use washing up liquid and hot water ensuring you get into all the nooks and crannies, such as the threaded neck and cap. Alternatively, use your dishwasher if it is dishwasher-safe.
Bacteria and germs thrive in moist environments so not washing your water bottle enough provides the perfect conditions for germs to grow. So the next time you are thinking of just giving your bottle a quick rinse, reach for the washing up liquid as well.
KINTO TRAVEL MUG
N just returned from a meeting in Kiev, where he was a speaker and as a thank you, they gave him a gift of a KINTO Travel Tumbler mug. Of course, he handed it to me. I love it, a new insulated travel bottle for me to use for my coffee on the way to early morning football games 🙂
UPDATE: Soren accidentally knocked over his bottle and the top of the cap broke so he can no longer use it. Good news is that Dopper is sending me a replacement – bad news it’s on backorder so for now he’s without an insulated bottle. We received it yesterday and it’s perfect again – back in business!
Disclosure: I have purchased these items myself and were not given them for free for my review. This review is my opinion and has been written in my own words.
