Plastic was only invented a little over 100 years ago with most of it being widely used for the first time in the 1950s and ‘60s in nearly every product imaginable from microwaves to tennis shoes. Despite its popular use being quite recent (with those generations still alive today) plastic has become the most widespread pollutant in the world.
About 60-90% of the ocean’s marine debris is made up of bits of plastic with a lot of marine life swallowing what are now known as microplastics. This is very concerning not only for many ecosystems but also for us as our food becomes contaminated by these plastics. Now that we are slowly becoming aware of the damage we’ve caused, we are starting to make changes but how can we truly make a lasting difference?
More and more people are moving towards zero waste practices by going to plastic-free grocery stores, opting for reusable bags and recycling at home. While a lot of people have quickly adopted this way of living, many others are not sure where to start. Going zero-waste might seem quite intimidating, especially when you’re pressured to use absolutely no plastic right off the bat and get rid of pollution entirely, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, you can make a difference to the plastic that’s affecting our freshwater and wildlife right now just by opting to use a Coppa bottle instead of a plastic one.
Over a million plastic water bottles are sold every minute but only 14% of them will be recycled. Another aspect of recycling is that is often forgotten about is that plastic has a recycling limit and cannot infinitely be produced without a negative effect on the environment. This is why of course, it’s better to recycle if you are using plastic but even more effective to stop using plastic altogether by avoiding plastic in packaging and household items.
Part of the inspiration behind starting Coppa was to create a way to store water that not only has health benefits but also allows people to live more sustainably. Even in the production and shipping of the vessels, there is no plastic involved whatsoever. This is, however, not the case with many other eco-products that are either not sustainably sourced (some bamboo products) or are plastic wrapped before they’re sent to various stores. Your bottle is also a long-lasting companion but ultimately breaks down much quicker than plastic (which can take thousands of years) at the end of its life.
So if you’d like to join the zero-waste movement, start by drinking from a Coppa bottle instead of choosing to buy a plastic water bottle every day. Soon you’ll find that nothing besides sustainability makes sense for your health and for the planet.