Some alternatives to plastic or metal water bottles

If you’re in the market for an alternative to plastic or metal water bottles, here are a few options:

Lifefactory Flip Top

Holds 22 ounces; weighs 19 ounces unfilled, $24.99

The cap at the mouthpiece is attached but flips back for sipping. The bottles are slightly curved, making them easy to hold.

www.lifefactory.com/catalog/flip-cap

CamelBak Eddy

Holds 24 ounces; weighs 18.4 ounces unfilled, $24.95

Made with CamelBak’s signature bite valve: Just bite and sip; no tipping required. shop.camelbak.com/eddy-glass-75l/

Rive Savoy

Holds 16 ounces; weighs 13.2 ounces unfilled, $20

To sip, slightly twist the top and the mouth opening adjusts (kind of like a spice bottle). These bottles are very slim and designed to fit in most car cup holders.

www.riveusa.com/savoy-designer-series-ruffle-my-feathers/

Takeya Classic

Holds 22 ounces; weighs 17 ounces unfilled, $19.99

This super-sleek bottle is nearly covered in a solid silicone sleeve. www.takeyausa.com/p-43-classic-glass-bottle-22-oz.aspx

Put new life back into a plastic water bottle
Mouthwash or bleach and baking soda can refresh a BPA-free bottle that may be showing its age.

If you’ve been bothered by residual odors and/or tastes in your BPA-free plastic bottles, don’t banish them to the landfill. Instead, rinse them with an antibacterial mouthwash to get rid of any unpleasantness.

If that doesn’t work, clean them the way the gear gurus at REI suggest:

• Put a teaspoon of bleach and a teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle and fill with water.

• Let the solution sit overnight.

• Rinse well or run through the dishwasher.

• Let the bottle air-dry completely.

BPA, or bisphenol A, is an industrial chemical used in food and beverage containers since the 1960s. The U.S. government offers additional information at lat.ms/1fcaTnA or lat.ms/Q8XbfP.

[email protected]