As an eco-friendly consumer looking to make daily earth-friendly decisions, you’ve probably asked yourself, can reusable water bottles be recycled?
What happens when your trusty sustainable water bottle becomes worn out or broken? Do you just throw it away?
Surely not if being green is as much of a priority for you as it is for me.
However, the answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.
Read on, and let’s explore the ins and outs of recycling reusable water bottles together.
Contents
The first thing to consider when deciding whether or not it’s possible to recycle reusable water bottles is the type of material they’re made from.
The six most common water bottle materials are:
I’ve covered the pros and cons of each material in my reusable water bottle materials article.
All six can (in theory, at least) be recycled, but some are more challenging than others.
Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, but you can’t just toss a stainless steel water bottle into your curbside recycling box.
This is because most curbside collections are crushed in the collection vehicle (to use space efficiently), and stainless steel is tricky to crush.
Some recycling centers make extra money by collecting valuable metals such as stainless steel. Contact your local authority to see if they accept stainless steel.
Or, find a local scrap metal dealer willing to buy your old stainless steel bottle (simply Google ‘scrap metal dealers near me’).
Some dealers have a minimum weight they take, so it might be worth keeping all your scrap metal until you have a good amount.
Aluminum is readily recycled in the U.S. (think soda cans), so you should have no issues recycling your old aluminum reusable water bottle.
The same advice above for stainless steel applies to aluminum.
Check with your local authority. If it’s a no from them, seek out a local scrap metal dealer and make a buck or two at the same time.
Glass can be recycled endlessly and is accepted in curbside collection boxes in most states in the U.S.
If not, there should be a glass recycling drop-off point in your neighborhood.
How readily recyclable your plastic bottle is depends on the type of plastic used to make it.
Seven types of recyclable plastics could be used in a reusable plastic water bottle:
Arabella covers this topic beautifully in her plastic recycling symbols article.
Also, if you’re recycling single-use water bottles, bear in mind that the bottle caps might need special attention.
Just like stainless steel and aluminum, copper is valuable and recyclable.
If your local recycling center doesn’t take it, you should have no problems finding a local scrap metal dealer to take it off your hands.
Silicone recycling has not yet become mainstream, so you’ll need to put in a bit more work to recycle it at the end of its usable life.
It’s worth giving your local authority a quick call to check whether or not they recycle silicone (you never know, you might get lucky).
If they don’t, specialist silicone recyclers (such as ECO USA) should be able to help.
If you can’t recycle your water bottle, it doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be tossed in the trash.
As with magazines, you can use your imagination and creativity to give old reusable water bottles a new lease of life and keep them out of the trash.
Some biodegradable materials are finding their way into the disposable bottled water industry.
These are usually paper or cardboard and are often only biodegradable in a commercial facility (not on the compost heap in your yard).
While this is a massive step in the right direction, a good quality, long-lasting, non-toxic, reusable water bottle is still a better option long-term.
Yes, but with some exceptions. Arabella covers this in more detail in her Can You Take Reusable Water Bottles on a Plane article.
Yes. I currently have an article in the works on this very topic. I’ll post a link here as soon as it’s published.
There are reusable water bottles to suit every budget.
Some cheap plastic ones can cost as little as a few bucks. Whereas high-end copper or stainless steel water bottles can set you back $100+.
Find out more about the cost of reusable bottles in my dedicated article.
This depends on the materials used and how it’s been looked after.
A cheap plastic bottle might only last a few years. A good quality stainless steel bottle could last a lifetime.
Glass and some metals are dishwasher safe, whereas plastic, copper, and silicone aren’t. Also, just because something is dishwasher safe doesn’t mean it will not damage it over time.
Hot water and non-toxic dish soap is my favorite way to clean water bottles.
It’s not recommended. Disposable water bottles are not designed to be reused. They’re tricky to clean properly and break down easily (causing bacteria to thrive in the small cracks, etc.).
Reusable water bottles are a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
They help cut down on the number of plastic bottles that end up in landfills and oceans, and they also save you money in the long run.
However, you must be mindful of how you dispose of them when they reach the end of their usable life.
Looking after your bottle so it lasts as long as possible is vital.
As is ensuring you recycle it responsibly to reduce its final impact.
And remember, if you can’t recycle it, get creative and repurpose it (I’m very proud of my DIY bird feeder made from old plastic bottles and reclaimed twigs!).
Have you ever had an issue recycling a reusable plastic bottle? Have you ever sold a metal reusable water bottle to a scrap dealer?
Does your local authority allow a metal water bottle in your recycling bin? Do you have any tips for giving old reusable plastic water bottles and water bottle caps a new lease of life? Drop me a line and let me know.
