Bobble, Klean Kanteen Offer Sleek Options for Reducing Bottle Waste

The new water Bobble, shown here in blue, filters water as you drink.

On a recent vacation to the West Coast, we were alarmed to note the number of plastic water bottles and disposable coffee cups we trashed. So when we arrived home, we were eager to try out two of the latest reusable bottle options: the Bobble, which filters water as you drink, and the new Klean Kanteen Wide Insulated container.

The Bobble ($9.95) — manufactured in the United States from recycled, BPA-free plastic — is available with a green, red, blue, magenta, black or yellow top that contains a carbon filter. Before using, fill the Bobble with water, then squeeze the water through the top to get rid of particles of loose carbon. After that, simply fill the Bobble, and as you drink, the filter removes chlorine and organic contaminants from municipal water. The colorful filter ($6.95) should be replaced every two months or after 40 gallons, saving an estimated 300 water bottles that would otherwise end up in a landfill. (According to the Container Recycling Institute, Americans buy about 34 billon bottles of water per year, so reusable containers not only conserve waste, but they also save money.)

The Bobble’s sleek look, created by the prolific industrial designer Karim Rashid, also makes for a more fashionable and convenient way to conserve waste than lugging around a filtered water pitcher. The Bobble can be ordered on the company website and is slated to be available at the following retailers by the end of March: JCPenney, Barnes & Noble, Wegmans and Whole Foods.

Though we love our Klean Kanteen Classic stainless steel bottle, we were happy the company recently introduced a wide, insulated container that keeps hot beverages warm for up to six hours and iced drinks cold for 24 hours. The insulated Kanteen kept our water nice and cool during a 90-minute Bikram yoga class, when the 105-degree heat often heats up our water to a less-than-refreshing, tea-like temperature. Available in 12 oz. ($22.95), 16 oz. ($25.95) and 20 oz. ($27.95), the Kanteens are equipped with double-walled, vacuum insulation and are made from BPA-free stainless steel. The standard, all-purpose Wide Loop Cap allows for easy attachment to a backpack, while the Café Cap ($5.95) lends itself to sipping hot beverages. Or opt for both with the 16-oz. combo special. The Flip-D Ring Cap ($8.95) folds flat for easier storage in your bag. An estimated 23 billion paper coffee cups are expected to be used in the U.S. this year, so we’re happy to lessen that number. Not only do these cups, which are polyethylene-coated and thus cannot be recycled, end up in landfills, but millions of trees are felled to manufacture them.

We try to use refillable cups and containers when we can, not only to reduce waste, but also cut down on spending! Do you have an opinion on these new options, or do you have another favorite reusable bottle?

Tags: Barnes & Noble Inc., Bottle, Café Cap, Container Recycling Institute, Containers, Environment, filtered water pitcher, Glass bottles, J. C. Penney Company Inc., Karim Rashid, Packaging, Plastic, prolific industrial designer, Recyclable materials, Recycling, stainless steel, stainless steel bottle, Sustainability, United States, USD, Waste management, Wegman's Food Markets Inc, West Coast, Whole Foods Market Inc., Wine bottle