As the world becomes increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of plastic, many consumers are seeking alternatives to traditional plastic bottles. Biodegradable plastics, made from plant-based materials, offer a promising solution to this issue. These plastics break down in a shorter period of time with the help of industrial composting facilities, reducing their impact on the environment.
However, finding top-quality biodegradable plastic bottles can be a challenge. In this blog post, we will explore where to buy biodegradable plastic bottles and evaluate the best options on the market based on sustainability, safety, quality, and value. Read on to learn more about how we chose the best biodegradable plastic bottles, or jump straight to our top picks.
How We Chose the Best Biodegradable Plastic Bottles
Many plastic bottle brands on the market today claim to be biodegradable, but the materials used and how they manufacture their products are not completely transparent. This may overwhelm you and lead to you purchasing a less-than-sustainable bottle. To help you find the right ones, we scoured the market to find top brands and evaluated each biodegradable bottle to ensure we only recommend products that meet our standards of the following criteria:
Materials: Eco-Friendly and Non-Toxic
We chose items that are free of toxins and other potentially harmful chemicals like BPA, BPS, and phthalates. We also ensured that the materials used for our recommendations were completely biodegradable and met biodegradability standards. We also chose plastic bottles produced from eco-friendly and biodegradable materials. These materials are used to create products that have the same features as traditional plastic bottles, but have a lower environmental impact. Unlike traditional plastic, these bottles are made with renewable resources and can fully biodegrade without releasing harmful chemicals. Examples of these materials include:
- Biodegradable Polymers – Biodegradable polymers are a type of plastic treated with bio-additives, a substance that can be added to plastic to enhance its biodegradability. They can be derived from natural sources such as plant starch, cellulose, and chitosan or synthetic sources such as polycaprolactone and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). These substances attract microorganisms to consume the plastic once it’s disposed of, allowing it to biodegrade in a short period of time.
- Wheat Straw – Wheat is an agricultural byproduct that is usually burned, discarded, or fed to livestock. Utilizing excess wheat straw to make biodegradable plastic bottles reduces agricultural waste while also producing more eco-friendly bottles that do not take centuries to degrade or emit harmful toxins into the atmosphere.
- Sugarcane – Sugar cane is a renewable resource that regenerates quickly and can be used to make biodegradable plastics. Sugarcane production is a carbon-neutral process because it absorbs a large amount of carbon dioxide throughout its growing period, making its carbon footprint neutral or even negative.
- Bamboo Fiber – Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, making it highly renewable. Like sugarcane, bamboo also absorbs a significant amount of carbon throughout its growing period, making the production of biodegradable plastic bottles from bamboo fiber carbon neutral or carbon negative.
Quality and Durability
We made sure to only recommend biodegradable plastic bottles that are durable and can meet or exceed the quality of traditional plastic bottles. We thoroughly evaluated each bottle’s volume, durability, and usability, and we carefully reviewed the overall user experience of each bottle on our list.
Manufacturer’s Ethical & Sustainable Practices
We researched each brand’s manufacturing process to make sure the products are produced in an ethical and sustainable manner. We also checked for their participation in any programs or projects that benefit the environment or their communities.
Biodegradable Plastic Bottles
Here’s a list of our top recommendations for the best biodegradable plastic bottles.
Biodegradable Plastic Bottles
- Elite Jet Biodegradable Plastic Bottle 550
- Water-To-Go Bioplastic Water Purifier Bottle
- Simpl Wheat Straw Fiber Water Bottle
- S’wheat Plant-Based Bottle
Top Picks
- Most Affordable: Elite Jet
- Best Feature: Water-To-Go
- Most Sustainable and Ethical: S’wheat and Water-To-Go
1. Elite Jet Biodegradable Plastic Bottle 550
- Materials: Biodegradable Plastic
- Current price: $7.99
- Size: 550ml/18.5 Oz
- BPA free? Yes
- Get this product: Amazon
Source: Tyler/Amazon
Elite Jet’s biodegradable plastic bottle is made of food-grade, toxin-free polyethylene treated with a special bio-additive substance that attracts microorganisms to consume the plastic once discarded, making it completely biodegradable within just 3 months to 5 years depending on the industrial composting facility.
This bottle is made for outdoor activities, and is particularly suited for cycling since it fits perfectly in a bicycle bottle carrier. It features a push-pull nozzle that provides a fast flow with just a few squeezes. We love how light this bottle is, making it easy to carry around and put in your backpack’s side pocket when going hiking, running, or just taking a walk in the park.
Elite Jet’s biodegradable plastic bottle is 100% compostable, so it is important to send it to an industrial composting facility at the end of its life, rather than just throwing it out!
Elite promotes transparency in their company and manufacturing process by releasing their company code of ethics to the public where they explain their ethical principles and practices, as well as their environmental commitments and goals.
Cons:
- We noticed that the nozzle does not stay open if you want it to since it closes automatically.
Looking for a different color and size? Elite Jet biodegradable plastic bottles are also available in yellow, black, red, and transparent colors that are available in 350ml, 750ml, and 950ml.
2. Water-To-Go Bioplastic Water Purifier Bottle
- Materials: Sugarcane
- Current price: $55.99
- Size: 550ml/18.5 Oz
- BPA free? Yes
- Get this product: Water-To-Go
Source: SuburbanMom/Amazon
Water-To-Go’s bioplastic water purifier bottle is made of ethically sourced sugarcane. It has a built-in filter that can purify water for up to three months, allowing it to purify up to 200 liters of water. While the Water-To-Go bottle is 100% recyclable, only the filter is 100% biodegradable, so it is important to send this bottle to the recycling and composting facilities after it has reached its end of life.
This water purifier bottle allows you to easily scoop water from lakes or streams and convert it into potable, safe drinking water, which is perfect if you run out of drinking water when hiking, trekking, camping, or going into any outdoor activity. We are astounded by the filter’s ability to remove viruses, germs, parasites, chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and even microplastics without pumping or putting purifying chemicals in the water. Furthermore, this bottle has an ergonomic shape for a firm and comfortable grip.
Water-To-Go is also collaborating with Just a Drop to provide clean water to remote communities all over the world.
Cons:
- The Water-To-Go bioplastic water purifier bottle is more expensive than the other biodegradable plastic bottles on our list. However, the safety, quality, and convenience it delivers are well worth the investment, especially if you’re an avid outdoors lover.
Looking for a different color? Water-To-Go bioplastic water purifier bottle is also available in brown, purple, black, blue, red, and green options. You can also get this bottle on Amazon.
3. Simpl Wheat Straw Fiber Water Bottle
- Materials: Wheat straw
- Current price: $8.99
- Size: 400ml/13.5 Oz
- BPA free? Yes
- Get this product: Amazon
Source: Nadya/Amazon
Simpl’s wheat straw fiber water bottle is sturdy and durable, giving you the same quality as hard plastic bottles or tumblers. This bottle, however, can withstand extreme temperatures, making it ideal for your morning coffee or a refreshing afternoon cold drink. We love this biodegradable plastic bottle’s leakproof lid and light weight, making it easy to carry around or toss it in your bag. Additionally, Simpl biodegradable plastic bottle features a bottle leash so you can hook it in your backpack or tote bag for more convenience.
Wheat straw fiber is fully compostable, so make sure to send this bottle to an industrial composting facility when you’re done with it.
Cons:
- Simpl wheat straw fiber water bottle may get too hot for your hand when filled with a warm beverage, so you may want to consider getting a cup sleeve for it.
- This cup is a bit smaller than other options, so it may not be suitable for long excursions.
Simpl also offers a bamboo fiber biodegradable plastic bottle on Amazon.
4. S’wheat Plant-Based Bottle
- Materials: Bamboo and wheat straw fiber
- Current price: $30.65
- Size: 550ml/18.5 Oz
- BPA free? Yes
- Get this product: S’wheat
Source: Julia C./ S’wheat
S’wheat’s plant-based bottle is made of 100% natural fiber from bamboo and wheat straw. It is extremely durable and can handle both warm and cold drinks. The sliding lock lid is fully leak-proof, so you don’t have to worry about any spillage when you put it inside your bag. This biodegradable plastic bottle also includes a carabiner, allowing you to quickly clip it outside your bag for more convenient use.
S’wheat bottle is 100% compostable, so it can be decomposed in an industrial composting facility.
Additionally, with each purchase of their biodegradable bottle, S’wheat plants a tree, and the growth progress can be tracked. We find this a very nice and unique addition to their sustainability mission.
Cons:
- Because the S’wheat plant-based bottle does not have double insulation, cold and hot drinks wouldn’t keep their temperature for a long period of time.
If you want a different color of this biodegradable plastic bottle, the S’wheat plant-based bottle is also available in blue, black, green, and oat colors.
5. UrthPact
- Materials: Plant-based PLA
- Current price: Needs to inquire for prices
- Size: Inquire for available bottle sizes
- BPA free? Yes
- Get this product: UrthPact
Source: Twitter/UrthPact
UrthPact offers biodegradable water and juice bottles similar to regular disposable plastic bottles. These bottles are entirely made of plant-based PLA, including the caps, making them 100% compostable in industrial composting facilities. These biodegradable and compostable plastic bottles are as durable as conventional plastic bottles, but are more eco-friendly because they are carbon-neutral. Plant-based PLA is also non-toxic and does not contain any harmful chemicals or additives, making it a safer choice for food and beverage packaging.
Cons:
- UrthPact bottles are only available for bulk orders. They are open to companies that need 500,000 or more bottles per month, so they’re best for big beverage brands.
- According to UrthPact, these bottles are not suitable for carbonated beverages.
Interested in UrthPact biodegradable and compostable bottles? You can inquire using their contact form.
Top Picks
If you’re still unsure about which product to choose, let our top picks help you make a decision.
Most Affordable: Elite Jet
For only $7.99, the Elite Jet biodegradable plastic bottle is the most affordable of our recommendations.
Best Feature: Water-To-Go
With Water-To-Go bioplastic water purifier bottle’s ability to convert stream or lake water into safe drinking water by removing viruses, germs, parasites, chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics, it is without a doubt the biodegradable bottle with the best feature in our picks.
Most Sustainable and Ethical: S’wheat and Water-To-Go
S’wheat and Water-To-Go are dedicated to expanding their sustainability and ethical efforts beyond just creating biodegradable substitutes for plastic bottles. They are actively involved in initiatives such as reforestation and providing access to clean water in remote communities.