Water is good for you.

We all know that. That’s nothing new. We probably all grew up with our mothers nagging us about not drinking enough – or was that just me?

After all, we’re mostly made up of water. Water is life-giving, for without it, we die. It’s vital for good health.

According to the Good To Know post The benefits of water: Do you know how much water to drink every day? from earlier this year, water naturally reduces appetite – and wrinkles! It diminishes spots, makes our eyes sparkle and our skin glow. Water stops headaches, fights infections and flushes out toxins. It regulates digestion, boosts concentration and increases energy levels.

So how much water should we be drinking each day? According to the article, the NHS guidelines are that ‘women should drink about 1.6 litres of fluid and men should drink about 2.0 litres of fluid per day. That’s about eight glasses of 200ml each for a woman, and 10 glasses of 200ml each for a man.’

Our mothers were right then. Drinking water has always been the way to go. What none of us could have predicted twenty or more years ago, was that buying water would become a thing. We didn’t see that coming, did we? Why would anyone pay money for something you could get free from the tap in your own home?

And yet now, we all do, it seems. The majority of us, anyway. The bottled water industry is big business.

Between 1995 and 2016, the UK bottled water market (including water coolers), has grown from just 800 million litres to almost 3.2 billion litres. British Bottled Water Producers

According to the British Bottled Water Producers, we now drink more bottled water as a nation than fruit juices, wine or spirits. And most of that water is bought in individual PET plastic bottles. Consuming more water may be good for our personal health, but in buying water in plastic bottles, there’s an impact on the environmental health of the planet we inhabit that cannot be ignored.

Here’s some of the details about plastic water bottles that we may not already know –

Water bottles are made of completely recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics, but PETs don’t biodegrade they photodegrade, which means they break down into smaller fragments over time. Those fragments absorb toxins that pollute our waterways, contaminate our soil, and sicken animals (which we then eat). Plastic trash also absorbs organic pollutants like BPA and PCBs. They may take centuries to decompose while sitting in landfills, amounting to endless billions of little environmentally poisonous time bombs. from Plastic Water Bottles Causing Flood of Harm to Our Environment

That article from the Huffington Post four years ago states that according to the Ocean Conservatory, plastic bottles and plastic bags are the most prevalent form of pollution found on our beaches and in our oceans.

These discarded plastic bottles are damaging the world we live in, and at an alarming rate. These bottles could be recycled, but most are not. And something needs to be done about it.

This is where innovative companies such as Hydro Flask step up and have such a vital role to play in offering an alternative to bottled water. Reusable sports bottles and drinks flasks remove the demand for one use plastic bottles. Each Hydro Flask comes with a lifetime guarantee, so you’ll never ever need to purchase water in a plastic bottle again. Imagine if each person in the world committed to using a reusable drinks container – how different the world would be then!

Hydro Flask was founded in 2009 in Bend, Oregon, when the company launched the first all-insulated bottle collection into the market. Its unique insulation innovation makes each Hydro Flask so much more than a regular water bottle. The TempShield™ insulation eliminates condensation and keeps beverages cold up to 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours.

London-based yoga teacher, founder of CurvesomeYoga and proud owner of the 21oz Hydration Flask in Mango, Donna Noble, has put her Hydro Flask to the test in her Bikram Yoga practice.

It works! Having filled up my Hydroflask with cold water from the fridge, 2 hours later and after a 90 minute hot Bikram class, the water was still ice cold and refreshing. I understand why, when I was preparing for my Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in the States, this was the flask that was recommended by all the teachers. I certainly was not disappointed. I remember one day back then, I placed ice cubes in the Hydro Flask on Friday, forgot all about it and still found cubes in the bottle on the Monday! It’s great to have Hydro Flask in the UK now. I’m loving the improved sports cap, which makes it easier to drink from. This small compact size is great too, making it easy to carry around. Donna Noble

The team at Hydro Flask are continually striving to bring new, innovative solutions to their customers and they now offer over 100 products in four different categories: hydration, coffee, beer and food. In 2015, the company expanded in Europe and Yogamatters are delighted to offer a range of Hydro Flask items in their product range. As Donna has discovered, a Hydro Flask is the perfect alternative to bottled water for any yoga teacher – robust and reliable in a range of fabulous colours, keeping you refreshed in style every step of the way.

There’s a clear commitment to the planet in offering this long-lasting alternative to bottled water, but the company goes further than that. Its ‘Parks for All’ programme provides grants to non-profit organisations across the United States and has just been launched in Europe, focused on building, maintaining, restoring, or providing better access to green spaces and waterways. In June, Hydro Flask announced its first European Grant Winner: Ocean Conservancy. An allocation of over £20K in grant funds will go towards supporting the International Coastal Cleanup carried out by Ocean Conservancy’s dedicated Trash Free Seas® team. Since beginning the cleanup in 1986, more than 95,254 tons of debris has been removed from the world’s beaches and waterways.

Design Consultant and proud owner of the 21oz Hydration Flask in Kiwi, Adele Mitchinson, loves to get out and about and always has her Hydro Flask with her on her travels –

I love my Hydroflask! I take it everywhere with me from dog walks to shopping trips and use it mainly for cold juice drinks. I use the standard mouth sports cap for easy access and add ice cubes for extra coolness. The bottle itself is a beautiful colour and not too heavy to fit into a backpack or a bag. I would highly recommend if you’re like me and enjoy refreshment on-the-go without the waste of hundreds of plastic bottles! Adele Mitchinson

For writer, yogi and proud owner of the 21oz Hydration Flask in Raspberry, it’s all initially about the design –

I have to admit, until I actually got a Hydro Flask in my hands, I didn’t really get what all the fuss was about. But I have to say, I love the feel of it. The matte finish means it won’t slip out of my hands and the bottle’s just the right size to contain all the water I need for my practice without becoming too heavy to carry around with me. I love the logo and the colour and the shape of the bottle and the carrying handle on the lid. My Hydro Flask feels cool and looks cool, as well as keeping my water cool. I feel guilty every time I buy a single use plastic bottle of water, but with this alternative to bottled water, now I never have to feel that way again! Helen Redfern

Yoga teacher and proud owner of the 21oz Hydration Flask in Lava, Rebecca Papa Adams always carries a flask with her and has bought many throughout the years. So how does the Hydro Flask compare with flasks she has bought in the past?

This top quality flask seems built to last. It didn’t leak and dribble down my chin which was a good thing! The sport cap was easy to open and close and kept my cool water cold. There were no squeaky noises you often get from these types of flasks. I often have a sip whilst teaching and there’s nothing more embarrassing than a noisy flask, particularly in a yoga class.

Rebecca goes on to make a really good point. It’s important to take care with hot fluids because they do really stay hot for longer!

The flask is heavier than what I’ve had in the past but I believe that this is down to the insulation element of the flask. It kept my green tea hot forever. If you think that after a few hours your tea has cooled, think again. I nearly burnt my tongue with the assumption that the tea had cooled.

And so, to sum up…

Water is good for you.

Plastic bottles are not good for our wonderful world.

There is an alternative to bottled water out there.

Amongst the alternatives is the Hydro Flask.

Check out the Hydro Flask here.