As parents, one of our most important responsibilities is to guide our children in understanding the world around them and preparing them for their future, which includes the impact of their environmental future. Teaching youth about sustainability ultimately helps to preserve the planet for future generations and instills values of responsibility and mindfulness that will shape their actions throughout their lives.
Youth today are witnessing the many outcomes of climate change, making it even more imperative for them to understand and think critically about solutions and plans for the future. One simple yet powerful thing to teach youth is the concept of reuse. Opting for a reusable water bottle, in particular, is one way to teach about waste and our plastic crisis while feeling empowered to take a stand.
Everyday decisions, such as choosing a reusable water bottle, can serve as a tangible example of how small changes in our habits can significantly impact the environment. This impact is amplified when we take collective action.
The impact K-12 students could have with reusable water bottles
The environmental consequences of single-use plastic bottles are evident, especially when considering the daily habits of millions of school children. Water is essential to anyone’s diet, let alone our kids. When a child is given a single-use plastic bottle daily for an entire school year, that equates to 180 bottles per student. That only accounts for one single year. Approximately 54.6 million students are enrolled in public, private, and charter schools across the United States, so the scale of this single-use plastic waste becomes overwhelming.
If each of these students used a single-use plastic bottle daily, a staggering 9.8 billion plastic bottles would be discarded annually. However, if every school implemented refill stations and provided students with refillable water bottles like PATH, that impact would be profound. 9.8 billion single-use plastic bottles could be kept out of our landfills and oceans yearly.
Why we need to empower our youth with reusable water bottles
To help our kids tackle the plastic crisis and promote critical thinking skills
As parents, we strive to provide our children with a better world than we inherited. Unfortunately, the legacy we are currently passing down includes a plastic crisis of unprecedented proportions. The habits and choices that have led to a world polluted with plastic are not what we want to hand over to the next generation. By teaching our kids to adopt sustainable practices, such as using refillable water bottles, we can help prevent them from perpetuating the same destructive patterns and instead guide them toward creating a cleaner, healthier planet.
One of the many schools PATH is in had our team come in for a fun day, leading to a discussion of single-use plastic. What we learned is that students have a deep fondness for land animals, aquatic animals, and keeping the environment clean. This discussion led to cool ideas the students had about other inventions to help the plastic crisis we’re in. Our teachers help our students adopt this critical thinking throughout the school year.
To teach healthy hydration habits
Start early to help students set healthy hydration habits. The more children are taught to drink water and avoid sugary drinks, the better habits they will likely take into teenage and adulthood. According to Harvard Research, having just one sugary drink per day was associated with a roughly 18% increased risk of cardiovascular disease regardless of how much a person exercised. Teaching children healthy water habits and to adopt refilling can help with long-term health.
Another health bonus of refilling and avoiding drinking from single-use plastic bottles is they contain over 240,000 microplastics, which pose potential health risks to young, developing bodies, in particular hormone-disrupting chemicals. Additionally, microplastics, tiny plastic particles that can be ingested, have become an alarming concern. By switching to reusable water bottles, we can reduce our children’s exposure to heavy doses of microplastics.
To teach youth about sustainability
Introducing the concept of sustainability to children doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complex. Reuse is an excellent, age-appropriate way to solidify the idea of reducing waste. Encouraging kids to refill helps them consider their sustainable choices in daily life. Choosing a refillable bottle over a single-use bottle can empower them to feel that their actions matter. By starting these lessons early, we can nurture a generation aware of environmental issues and actively engaged in finding and implementing solutions.
What are some challenges parents face with heavy-duty reusable water bottles?
While choosing a reusable water bottle for children is important, heavy-duty reusable bottles sometimes pose challenges. Here are some of the challenges that parents have shared.
Size and weight
Large reusable bottles can be cumbersome for children, particularly when carrying them in heavy backpacks. The added weight and bulk can lead to discomfort, making children less likely to use them consistently. Over time, this can diminish the benefits of encouraging regular hydration with a sustainable option.
Loss or misplacement
Children are prone to losing or misplacing their belongings, and reusable water bottles are no exception. When these bottles are expensive, frequent replacements can become a significant burden for parents, leading to frustration and, sometimes, a return to less sustainable options.
Fit and usability
The practicality of large bottles can also be an issue. Many parents find these bottles don’t fit well in school lunchboxes, cup holders, or even the designated water bottle pockets on backpacks. Additionally, the lids or spouts of some heavy-duty bottles can be too complex for younger children to use easily, leading to spills or discouraging them from using the bottle altogether.
Peer pressure or theft
Children, particularly in school settings, can be influenced by peer pressure. If their bottle doesn’t look “cool” or stands out too much, they might feel self-conscious about using it. Unfortunately, the more attractive and unique the bottle, the higher the risk of it being taken by another student, intentionally or not.
Cost vs. practicality
While investing in a high-quality reusable bottle is generally considered a practical choice, the initial cost can be a significant factor for many families. Balancing the need for durability with the practical concerns of everyday use is a challenge that parents frequently face. An expensive, heavy-duty bottle might not always be the most practical option for a child, especially considering factors like loss, usability, and comfort.
A practical solution is PATH water aluminum, refillable bottles
PATH water bottles offer a smart and practical solution to these common pitfalls parents face with larger, heavier reusable bottles. Designed with kids and parents in mind, PATH bottles come pre-filled with water, making them a convenient and cost-effective choice. They are lightweight and sturdy, so they can refilled over and over again, potentially for years. If a bottle is lost or misplaced, it’s not a huge investment, and replacements are affordable, easing the burden on parents.
To make sustainability more appealing to children, PATH offers smaller bottles that are easier for kids to carry and handle. These bottles feature popular Nickelodeon characters, like Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, helping children connect with their reusable bottles and encouraging them to take better care of them. If they are taken or lost, parents can rest easy knowing that replacements are easy to find and won’t break the bank.
Want to take it a step further? You can make your own Custom PATH bottles for the family using our licensed characters and other design elements on the PATH Custom Platform. Get started creating your PATH bottle now.