Product review - Retap reusable bottle

One of the first small steps I took towards a more sustainable lifestyle was to ditch bottled water and plastic cups, and invest in a reusable bottle. Though plastic can be recycled, recycling expends energy, plus plastic can only be recycled so many times before ending up in landfill, where it leaks chemicals as it slowly decomposes (for more on this it is worth visiting Beth Terry’s My Plastic Free Life blog, which has far more detail on why plastic is essentially the source of all evil).

The alternatives are numerous, and though they do include plastic options (including the popular ‘Bobble’ water bottle), I didn’t ever really seriously consider those for the reasons above.

Here are some of the bottles I did consider, organised by material:

Steel
- Sigg bottle
- Klean Kanteen

Glass
- Lifefactory bottle (glass in a silicone protective case)
- Bamboo bottle (actually glass sheathed in bamboo)
- CamelBak Eddy glass bottle (glass in silicone again)
- Retap bottle

My primary requirement for a reusable water bottle is that the water doesn’t taste weird. I’ve got a metal canteen that I take camping etc., but frankly it imparts a slightly metallic flavour to anything you put in it, so I’m keeping it for heavy-duty use only. For everyday use, I plumped for a Retap bottle. Retailing at about £10-£12 online, it is made from borosilicate glass (tougher than ordinary glass), with a BPA-free plastic/rubber lid. (Yes, plastic is in there, but with lids it seems unavoidable.) Uncharacteristically, I chose a pink lid!

I confess, I was a bit sceptical about this bottle, despite deciding to give it a chance. Aside from the fact it is made from a highly breakable material, I was worried the push-on cap wouldn’t actually keep the water in the bottle. Happily, my fears were unfounded.

I’ve had my bottle for almost a year, and have found it to be strong, water-tight, and very easy to clean. The tap water I fill it with doesn’t take on any unpleasant tastes as it can do with metal bottles, and the bottle can be shoved in a bag and carried around with very low risk of breakage or leakage. I’ve never dropped it on a hard surface, and I imagine it might shatter if I did, but I’m pretty good at being careful with it, and don’t have any kids around that could accidentally knock it etc.

Initially I cobbled together a very basic ‘sleeve’ for my bottle out of left-over sewing scraps, but have since been brave enough to carry it around without, with success.

The only cons I can think of for this product are: The glass could do with some additional etching or texture on it, as it’s quite slippery when washing. Until this happens, Retap needs to sell sleeves for their bottles to help people grip them!

Aside from that, I heartily recommend it as a serious contender for anyone looking to reduce their water packaging waste. Importantly, it combines substance with style; its sleek, minimalist design means it looks good standing on a desk, or in a bag. Though I wish it wasn’t so, I suspect that a lot of ‘eco’ or ‘green’ products fail to catch the eye of the mainstream consumer due to their hippy or adventurer aesthetic. I know a lot of people who wouldn’t buy a steel water canteen, because it they think it might not match their outfit, or give out the wrong message. Sad but true! I’ve had lots of comments on my bottle, some incredulous, but mostly complimentary.