50 million.  This is the number of water bottles that are thrown away every day throughout the United States.   Plastic water bottles pose a threat to the environment, and accumulate in landfill.  A plastic water bottle can take as long as a millennium to decompose fully.

The solution is simple: reusable water bottles.  Not only can they contain more water than their plastic counterparts, but they are also durable and hardy.  With so many styles and colors to choose from, there is a reusable water bottle to suit anyone’s taste.

Leading brands include CamelBak, S’well, Bobble, and Thermos.  Each company has its own advantages and disadvantages, so weighing up the options is the best way to go.

Although CamelBak eddy was originally designed for hikers, it is quickly becoming a popular everyday water bottle.  With its large capacity and unique structure, CamelBak water bottles are convenient for life on the go.  CamelBak water bottles have a system unlike any other. Rather than a traditional cap, CamelBak features a retractable valve.  This way, you do not have to tilt the water bottle back when you drink.  In turn, this makes it far easier to make the most of your water bottle.

However, CamelBak bottles are not entirely perfect.  In spite of their revolutionary design, the bottles only come in one size.  They can be bulky and inconvenient to carry around.  If space is tight, this might not be the bottle for you. Additionally, the CamelBak may leak if it is filled past a certain point and they often become wet on the outside when the water is cold.

An alternative to CamelBak water bottles is a new design by Thermos.  It is similar in structure to the aforementioned CamelBak, but keeps water cold for longer.  Thermos’s new Connected Hydration Bottle connects to FitBit devices.  Based on users’ height, weight, and activity levels, the bottle calculates an approximate water intake goal.  This feature comes at a price, and a very steep one at that.  The Thermos bottle fetches a sum of almost $60.  If you are eager to try out this new water bottle, you will need to wait until November as the Connected Hydration Bottle will only hit the market then.

Like Thermos water bottles, S’well bottles also keep your drink cold for hours at a time.  More specifically, they keep water cold for 24 hours and warm for 12 hours. These stainless steel bottles come in dozens of colors and patterns.   Furthermore, they are available in 9oz., 17oz., and 25 oz. sizes. Prices vary accordingly.  Additionally, S’well aims to give back to the community by teaming up with various non-profit charities, such as Unicef.  For commercial use, S’well also makes custom bottles with company logos. In fact, senior Madeline Fagen is in contact with S’well to design a custom bottle for Schreiber with the Viking logo.

S’well water bottles are incredibly durable, but there is only so much wear and tear they can withstand.  If they are dropped frequently, they may become dented.  After much frequent use, the design may begin to chip off the bottom as well.

Bobbles are a cheaper alternative to sturdier water bottles.  Since they are made of a softer plastic than other brands, there is no chance of the bottles breaking.  They have a built-in filter, a feature which other reusable bottles lack.  This eliminates the metallic taste of water from public fountains, and ensures that your drinking water is clean and purified.

Unlike the more expensive bottles, Bobble is not insulated, which means that your water may not stay cold for long.  Finally, you need to replace the filter every few months for maximum efficiency.

If current trends of using reusable water bottles continue, then disposable plastic bottles could become a thing of the past.