Can you imagine going one day without using anything made with plastic?  It would be very difficult. Plastic is assimilated into many aspects of our lives, and every piece of plastic that we use will be on this planet for hundreds or thousands of years.

When it doesn’t end up in our landfills, plastic most likely makes its way to our oceans, where each year millions of fish, birds, and other animals die because they eat it or get caught in it. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) projects that more than 13,000 pieces of plastic litter are drifting in every square kilometer of the oceans worldwide.

For years now, I have made it a mission of mine to use as little plastic as possible. I’ve been touting the use of Nalgene bottles since I can remember. I even made sure to run out and buy a BPA free one as soon as they hit the market. But whether it’s BPA-free or not, plastic is still plastic, right?

Klean Kanteen 27oz

With World Water Day this Sunday (22nd), I thought it was great timing that I was given the opportunity to review a 27oz. ($17.45) stainless steel Klean Kanteen water bottle and also thought it would be a good time to get you pumped about forgoing plastic water bottles. There are tons of plastic free, reusable bottles on the market. In my research, the most praised are The Klean Kanteens and the Siggs.

I was surprised when my Klean Kanteen bottle arrived at how lightweight it is, despite its size. It fits perfectly in the side mesh pocket of my messenger bag, which really pleases me. My Nalgene always had to go inside my bag due to its size; this never allowed for quick access. Granted, I use the 32oz. Nalgene because I try to drink a lot of water, but with the 27oz. I feel it’s a much better travel companion since it fits perfectly in car holders, side pockets on bags and even bottle holders on bikes. So I refill a few more times to drink as much as the 32oz Nalgene, but it’s worth it.

The Kanteen isn’t insulated, (hot beverages are not suggested), but it’s a really solid bottle. I even dropped it this morning at the gym and retrieved it unscathed. The one brief issue I have with the bottle is that it comes with a screw top, removable cap that’s not attached. I’m really used to the Nalgene where you can unscrew the cap and it remains attached to the bottle. Fortunately this issue can easily be remedied by purchasing a different cap. Options are a loop cap, flat cap, or sports drinking cap (which is what I prefer), and all are made from safe, non-leaching polypropylene (pp#5).

The Kanteen is 100% non-leaching and toxin-free, making it an awesome alternative to plastic. It comes in 4, 12, 18, 27 and 40oz. sizes and seven great colors including basic stainless. It can be cleaned in the dishwasher, another perk. The mouth of the bottle is wide enough to handle ice cubes, and the screw cap seals tight to prevent leakage.

The Klean Kanteen 27oz. (and three other sizes, prices vary) is available at BuyGreen for $17.45 and they’re offering Modern Eco Home readers a 10% discount! Just enter the code moderneco in their coupon code area at checkout. BuyGreen is a really great site. They make it easy for you to understand why a particular product is considered ‘green’, by a developed set of BuyGreen Standards. These Standards address the total ‘lifecycle’ of a product in a manner that is simple to understand, yet comprehensive enough to be of value.

Klean Kanteen Summary:

Pros:

• Very high quality

• Slim ergonomic design

• Comes in 7 colors

• Wider mouth makes it easy to clean and add ice cubes

• Tops will fit any Klean Kanteen

• Different Screw tops to choose from

Cons:

• None for me

Well, that should give you a good overview of my new traveling companion. I doubt I’ll go anywhere without it. And don’t forget World Water Day this Sunday, so head on over to BuyGreen and pick yourself up a cool Klean Kanteen to help you hydrate and help the environment. Remember the moderneco 10% discount code!