Product Review – Eco Canteen Water Bottle
April 24, 2009 by
Filed under
Blog, Environment, Front Page, Green Living, Household Goods, Iowa
Eco Canteen bottles and totes. Photo: Eco Canteen
From time to time, Blue Planet Green Living (BPGL) gets offers of sample products that people would like us to review. The products (full disclosure alert!) are complimentary, so you should know that at the outset. But there are no strings attached. No one is paying us to say nice things. And no one can dissuade us from saying a product stinks, if we believe it’s true.
If you are considering purchasing this product based on my review, please read this: The first time I tried to contact customer service, I was extremely disappointed — and especially dismayed by reports from dissatisfied readers. The good news is, the president of the company reports having added to their customer service staff in the past week (end of July). He adds, “Our goal is to be able to respond to everyone’s questions or concerns in a prompt and efficient manner.” And as far as I can tell, that’s exactly how each complaint by our readers has been handled. I applaud the company’s efforts to improve, and I continue to support the quality of their product. — Julia Wasson, Publisher
12/30/09 — Since this review was published, we have received dozens of complaints about Eco Canteen, though they have subsided over the past couple of months. If you purchased an Eco Canteen as a result of reading this review and then were dissatisfied with your purchase, please let us know. We’ll do our best to help you get satisfaction. We’ve also received some rave reviews. If you are a happy EcoCanteen customer, please let others know by posting your comments here.
Eco Canteen
The Eco Canteen is a 26-oz. stainless steel water bottle that I’ve been carting around with me for weeks. This is the perfect antidote to plastic water bottles, as any of you metal-bottle-toting water lovers already know. It sits next to my computer in the daytime, on my nightstand while I sleep, and in my car when I travel.
The bottle has a wide mouth that’s perfect for dropping in ice cubes, for taking big gulps, and for washing. (It’s also supposed to be dishwasher safe, though I’ve washed mine by hand.) I’ve found the wide mouth a little risky for taking quick drinks, though, as water sometimes dribbles a little down my chin when I’m in a hurry. What I really appreciate is that the lid screws on tightly between sips. I’m not the most graceful person in the world, and I’ve knocked over a glass or two in my day. The screw-on lid makes this water bottle safe near electronics and impossible to spill if I knock it over it while reaching for the lamp on my nightstand in the darkness of my bedroom.
Even a klutz can't spill a metal bottle with a secure screw top. Photo: J. Wasson
Last fall, my daughter, Lindsay, a university student, purchased a smaller metal water bottle from a local sporting goods store for just under $20. Her bottle has a pull top that was hard to pull up for the first few months and, now that pulling the tip up is easy, it no longer seals well. The small opening also requires her to suck hard to get any liquid out, as there’s only a tiny air intake to compensate for the water that flows out of the bottle into her mouth.
For her birthday in February, she asked for a new, stainless steel water bottle with a screw-on top. No problem! We had just received two Eco Canteens. Lindsay got her own stainless steel bottle to review, complete with a zippered, insulated tote. She loves the wide mouth, which prevents her from making embarrassing sucking noises when she takes a drink of water in class.
The EcoCanteen also comes with a carabinier clasp to secure it to a student’s backpack or, in my case, a laptop bag. That may sound odd — to hook a water bottle to a laptop bag. It’s pretty much counter intuitive to attach something that holds liquid to something that runs on electricity — and contains nearly your entire brain. But the secure, screw-top lid is a huge safety feature that I can count on (as long as I remember to screw it on tightly). And this bottle will never crack or break.
We’re all trying to get away from plastic in our drink containers, but this has a plastic lid. I wondered, is there BHA in this plastic? So I checked with Trish, my contact at Eco Canteen. Here’s what she said, “We use # 5 PP plastic in our lids, which has been found to be the most innate of all plastics with no known leaching characteristics. No BPA.” Great news!
On my way to the Kirkwood Community College Earth Day event recently, I tightly screwed on the lid, clipped my Eco Canteen to my laptop bag (which is like an overgrown purse with a flat bottom, so it stands up) and secured the bottle upright. That gave me even greater security that no water would leak.
Once, when I had several things to carry downstairs, I clipped it to my belt loop. (Do hikers really do that?) That was convenient for a short-term solution, but I wouldn’t recommend traveling that way, as it bounced and thumped against my side.
I use my Eco Canteen all around the house. Photo: J. Wasson
At only $9.99 plus $5.95 shipping and handling (within the US, I assume), this bottle is a super deal for the money. As a rough estimate, if I calculate $1 per plastic bottle of water and consider that I have consumed at least 1 bottle a day for the past two months (this is a really conservative estimate), then I would have spent at least $60 for bottled water in that time. If I’d paid the retail price for the Eco Canteen, the bottle would have paid for itself with what I’d saved in 15 days. And every day that I use it instead of buying bottled water (which I won’t do anyway), I continue to save money.
There’s an optional, free, insulated tote you can get for your water bottle from the website. Lindsay uses hers on occasion to keep water cool during class. I haven’t used mine yet, but will definitely use it during the summer to keep the bottle from sweating. Be aware, though, that the “free” tote costs an extra $4.95 for shipping and handling. You can also choose to purchase a “kids size bottle” — which looks like it might fit in a child’s lunchbox — at $8.95 plus shipping. It also has a zippered tote available, for the additional shipping charge.
The Upshot
While my exposure to metal water bottles is admittedly limited (this is the only one I have used), the Eco Canteen is a great bargain for the cost. I’ve used mine day and night for more than two months, and I’ll keep using it for years to come. It’s another small step in the direction of sustainability and green living. Do I recommend the Eco Canteen? You bet.
Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)
Stay away from this product. Guaranteed to disappoint. Customer service Nightmare! You will be convinced you are dealing with a scam 1 minute into the conversation with their customer service, if you can get them on the phone. Please review web postings prior to making any purchase. They offer a reasonable product price and then charge you shipping and handling for each item despite you receiving it in one standard class envelope. AND they offer you a free tote for the bottle and charge you $4.95 shipping and handling for each one. Not kidding, check the reviews.
I’m sorry to hear you had such a bad experience, TMM107. Thanks for letting us know. As we were given sample bottles and didn’t have to pay for them or the totes, I can’t speak to your experience with customer service. I’ll relay your complaint to my contact at Eco Canteen.
I love my Eco Canteen. I use it constantly and carry it with me from room to room. Hopefully, you’re getting good use out of yours, even if it turned out to be more expensive than you anticipated.
I bought a bottle and it leaks. Can’t get anyone to pick up the phone or call me back. Emails are ignored. I’m going to go back to my credit card issuer to get help.
This is not right!
If you’re looking for a stainless steel bottle for health reasons, then you need to make sure that it doesn’t have a plastic cap!
This site sells stainless steel bottles that come with stainless steel caps:
http://www.ambrosiawaterfilters.com
They same site also has non-toxic glass water bottles for less than four bucks each!
This is one of the worst purchases I’ve made! I was billed over $55 for two bottles — shipping costs were over $20. And, I can’t use the bottles — there is a horrible metal taste — even after washing according to their instructions. Customer Service is not reacable…..phone rolls into a message telling you to use their “chat.” Chat is too busy and disconnects. I’d like a refund or just the ability to speak with someone — this is like throwing money away!!
Thank you for sharing your story, Barbill929. I’ll contact the person who sent the bottles to us and let them know of your situation. I’ll do what I can to get someone to respond to you. In the meantime, readers should be cautious about ordering from this company. I stand by the quality of the product I received (no metal taste at all in either of mine), but if customer service is bad, I’d go elsewhere for future purchases. Julia
When I asked Eco Canteen about the plastic caps they use, here’s what they wrote to me: “We use # 5 PP plastic in our lids which has been found to be the most innate of all plastics with no known leaching characteristics. No BPA.”
Thanks for sending a link to the Ambrosia Water Filters site, Creavolution. It’s good to have choices.
Julia
Thank you for letting us know, Kay. I will send your complaint to Eco Canteen. If we don’t hear back by Monday, I will take down the review. Meanwhile, Buyer beware! This is the third complaint we’ve received.
If anyone has something positive to say about Eco Canteen, please send your comments asap. Thanks.
I am not sure if I want to purchase one now after reading all the bad reviews.
Stay tuned, Phyllis. We are trying to reach the company to give them the opportunity to work out problems with the people who are complaining. If the company satisfactorily resolves the problems, then they may still be a good company to deal with. People who have complaints are often more vocal than those who are happy. I’ve had no problems at all — and still love my own Eco Canteen — though, since I received free samples, I can’t speak to the issue of cost. If you’re considering purchasing an Eco Canteen, you might want to wait a few days to see if how the company responds.
I also order two bottles and the “FREE” insulated sleeve and it cost me $4.95 for the shipping of the “FREE” sleeve for my Eco-Canteen. Two bottles and the “FREE” sleeve was over $50. Try KleanKanteen at http://www.kleankanteen.com/
Much more reasonable on shipping charges.
I love mine!
Thanks for sharing your story, Maggie. Did you keep your Eco Canteens or send them back? If you kept them, were you happy with them?
I appreciate everyone’s comments. I’m very sorry that the review I wrote has contributed to so much disappointment and frustration.
Let’s see if the company responds to my emails.
As you know, if you’ve read the above comments, I wrote to EcoCanteen about the problems reported on this site. I received the following reply in today’s email. I appreciate the information Renee provided below.
Here’s the letter I received.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Renee (fast-growing-trees)
Date: Fri, Jul 17, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Subject: Hello from EcoCanteen, Inc.!
To: julia@organicgreenandnatural.com
Dear Julia,
First let me say thank you for your review, your great reporting, and giving us the opportunity to respond. It really shows that you care about doing what’s right, and so do we. We welcome any and all complaints, comments and questions at EcoCanteen, Inc. Our mission is to protect your family’s health, save you money, and save our environment through the use of our simply conceived, profoundly impactful, stainless steel bottles. Here is all the information that is available at http://www.ecocanteen.org.
Customer Service
Representatives are available:
By phone: 888-229-9543 Monday through Friday, 9:00am – 11:30am & 12:30pm – 5:30pm EST
Through LiveChat at: http://www.ecocanteencustomerservice.com Monday through Friday, 9:00am – 11:30am & 12:30pm – 5:30pm EST
By email: http://www.webmail.ecocanteen.org
By mail: EcoCanteen
P.O. Box 472246
Charlotte, NC 28247
We endeavor to respond to each inquiry within 48 hours.
Price and Shipping
Our prices are clearly stated on the home page of http://www.ecocanteen.org. The EcoCanteen is $9.99 plus $5.95 shipping and comes with the free tote (really helps with icy or scalding hands) plus the shipping of $4.95. All together, it comes to $20.85, which is less than Klean Kanteen and other competitors we price checked that do not include a tote.
Customers are asked if they would like to upgrade to a deluxe model that has a stainless steel lid and lifetime guarantee for an additional $7.95.
The Kid’s EcoCanteen is $8.95 plus $4.95 shipping and 4.95 for shipping the tote.
Never Spill Pull Tops 4.95, no shipping charge
Return Policy
If you are unhappy with your EcoCanteen for any reason you are welcome to return any unwanted product to the address on your packing slip within 30 days of receiving your order for a refund. All returned orders are subject to a 15% restocking fee (15% of the total cost of your order including shipping & handling, the remainder is refunded). Please include a copy of your packing slip so we have your order information.
The address for returns is:
EcoCanteen
500 Bic Drive #4
Milford, CT 06461
Leaks
These instances are extremely rare, and we will cheerfully replace the EcoCanteen, and would love to hear the story of what cliff it fell off!
If we can get contact information for TMM107, Kay, and Barbara/Barbill929, we would be happy to contact them directly to resolve their issues.
Julia, we have thousands and thousands of extremely satisfied customers every week. We are thrilled to be able to provide EcoCanteen to the public and now to groups at wholesale prices, so they may encourage the same health, savings and environmentalism to which we are dedicated.
Thanks again,
Renee
EcoCanteen, Inc.
RMcDonald@ecocanteen.org
Renee has promised to follow up with the three people who have complained (TM107, Kay, and Barbara). Please let me know when you come to a satisfactory resolution, or post a comment to tell us all.
In response to the customer service question, I called the 888 number. Upon selecting the option to speak to an operator, I got a recording that “all customer service agents are busy” and was directed to the live chat on the website. This has happened to me at other sites and always makes me wonder if there really are any customer service agents or if it’s just a ruse to get people to use the (cheaper) website option. On the other hand, they may truly be busy, but I’d prefer to be put into a queue than to be cut off. Customer service is, after all, an extremely important element in customer satisfaction and should not be overlooked.
Next, I tried the online “live chat” option. I waited and waited and waited for someone to respond. I got several automated messages telling me that they were all busy and someone would be with me soon — for 15 minutes. And then, when I did get a “live” person, I asked a question and waited 3 more minutes for a response before giving up.
As I’ve said, I love the product, but I do not recommend the customer service. If they get that problem fixed, I’ll recommend them again. In the meantime, if you do purchase from EcoCanteen, be sure you read the entire agreement carefully so you know exactly what you’re getting — and paying.
Julia
Hi TMM107. I queried EcoCanteen on your behalf and received the following response from Customer Service.
“7/7 called up because he was upset his order never arrived even though UPS claimed delivered we reshipped the order that day, no further contact”
Please let us know if this is not correct.
Hi Kay.
I heard back from EcoCanteen’s customer service about your issue. Here’s what they said:
“just contacted us this week about this, not previous, no email, replacement bottle shipped on 7/15″
Please let me know if this isn’t accurate. Thanks.
I share your frustration about customer service. The president of the company sent me this message in response to my concerns about no one picking up the phone or answering online: “I really appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I am sorry you had to endure that bad experience. We are in the process of hiring more people for the customer service department. While we need to watch our expenses to be able to keep our prices down, helping our customers is a priority. Renee will update you as we increase our staffing dedicated to customer service.” I’ll keep folks posted as I learn more.
Barbara,
I’ve conveyed your concerns to Renee at EcoCanteen (www.ecocanteencustomerservice.com). Here’s what she sent me: “no record of contact, we are reachable during normal business hours and via email – just tried to call the customer and there is no answer” Knowing my own experience with their customer service today, I can understand why you might have given up trying to reach them.
I suggest you send an email directly to Renee. I’ll send you her contact information by email. I’m confident she will help you get the problem resolved. If not, please let me know. Thanks, and good luck.
I just checked their site, As you try to leave they offer you a deal if you click.
Adult canteen $4.99 + $5.95 sh plus the “free” tote + $5.95 sh. that is almost what it looks like in the original deal (with out the fine print!).
Now to get those stainless tops down in price………
Thanks, Peter, for sharing this. The site has changed since I first reviewed it. The company seems very responsive to concerns. You might want to let them know what you think about the price of the stainless steel tops. If you click on Customer Service at the bottom of the home page, you’ll get a pop-up that offers a place for you to send an email; but you’ll have to scroll down to see it.
I finally got through to them. I had to get connected with their live chat person. It took more than 20 minutes to get started and she told me she would get a replacement to me within 14 days. I’m happy to report I received a new one in12 days and it is different than the first one. Instead of being two pieces (tube and bottom) it is one piece (with a rounded bottom) as shown in the pictures above.
I am a happy customer now. Some of the smell has dissapated from the carrying case by now too.
I think the customer service person was speaking to two or three people at the same time, because it took a while for each response. I think their marketing was good and the buyers far exceeded their capacity to cope with the growth that caused.
I made the mistake of ordering one of these ecocanteens on 7/22/09. Immediately after I placed the order, I realized that the total had not been divulged before I sent the order and the total was considerably more than I expected. I immediately went to the ‘online chat’ . I was eventually greeted by Trish, who then left me in limbo for over 6 minutes, never returned to the chat and I terminated the chat. I attempted a second time to reach them via the Chat function, and again Trish responded. This time she was rude, told me I had left the first chat after less than 1 minute, and SHE terminated this chat session! Then I tried the 888 Customer Service # and after wading through the automated attendant recordings etc, reached a live person who promptly told me my order would not be in the system until after 10AM 7/23/09 and I would have to wait until then.
Today, at 1PM (4PM their time) I called the 888 Customer Service line. Again with the recording, select option #2, another recording, ‘all agents are busy, use the website ONline Chat option etc’ and then disconnected me. Went to the website and tried Online Chat. Online Chat never even opened a chat window…tried 3 times.
I’m filing complaints with BBB and Attorney General, as well as sending snail mail to their president. This company is operating a scam as as far as I’[m concerned. And now I wonder if they block your phone # and ISP once you’ve tried to reach their Customer Service Dept. Seems a bit strange to me that I couldn’t reach them via either route today. Smells funny to me.
Would appreciate any help. I notice that they charge 15% restocking if you return the item…another sneaky way to get you. So if you can’t cancel the order, they ship, you return it and they still charge you. I think that’s illegal. Plus it says that they don’t ship for up to 4 weeks so what is the deal?
My final thought is that once you’ve placed the order, they will do everything possible to keep you from cancelling the order, so they make all customer service unavailable. I also have emailed them 2x already, with no response.
I have now sent my complaint to Renee. I’ll update you if / when I get a response.
I ordered the ecocanteen
seems good I upgraded it & paid for a tote
got my canteen & no tote + my card was charged double
I emailed-called-left a message in live chat & got no reply
Would be great if they reimbursed me the difference from my order and what I was charged
would also be great if I got the tote I did order
Hi Kay.
I’m glad you finally got a new canteen and that the smell of the carrying case is getting better. Thanks for letting us know that the company responded to your complaint.
Julia
That was my impression, too. It takes time to build a company, and sometimes growth outpaces infrastructure. I’ve conveyed everyone’s complaints to their customer service department, and the president of the company is aware of them. I’ve been assured that they are working hard to ramp up their customer service department. I’m glad to see you have gotten satisfaction.
finally talked to someone
they said I’ve been refunded the difference + getting the tote
if this happens I will be happy
I’ve seen a lot of bad stuff about them
getting ahold of them was hard
but if they do what they say the company isn’t so bad
-peace-
Sorry, Buddy. Didn’t see this post before I approved your final one. Glad the matter is getting resolved. I know it’s frustrating, but I think you’ll be pleased with your canteen. I saw another variety in an organic grocery store in a nearby town yesterday. Thought I might buy one for my husband. It looked identical to EcoCanteen except for having a plastic coated and artwork on the outside. But when I turned the cap, it made a terrible noise. I tried three others from the same company, and had the same result. Once again, I’m liking my EcoCanteen quite well. Hope you do, too, once it all gets resolved.
Hi Sarah.
I’m really sorry you had that experience. I, too, have been frustrated by their customer service. I’m glad you wrote to Renee with your complaint. She has been very responsive to all the complaints I’ve forwarded to her. The company is well aware of their customer service problems. Here is what the president told Renee to convey to me (and, hence, to our readers):
“I really appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I am sorry you had to endure that bad experience. We are in the process of hiring more people for the customer service department. While we need to watch our expenses to be able to keep our prices down, helping our customers is a priority. Renee will update you as we increase our staffing dedicated to customer service.”
By the way, Renee asked that I give everyone the correct address for customer service (I had posted her personal email): http://www.ecocanteencustomerservice.com. Please note that the Live Chat button appears at the top. Skip that option (as my experience also suggests it takes an inordinate amount of time to get a person to respond) and scroll down to where you can enter your message.
Sarah, I’m going forward your complaint to Renee. Hopefully, she will respond quickly.
Keep us posted!
Julia
Thanks, Sarah. As you’ll soon see, I’ve also emailed Renee on your behalf. Glad you let us know!
I was sent and billed for products that I did not order. When I tried to return them, I was informed rather rudely that I would not be credited the full amount. I am amazed that this company would not rectify their mistake. The customer service rep refused to identify herself and when I said that I wanted to have the address to her corporate office, she said it would do no good. Honestly, in these times, to have such poor customer service is unbelievable to me.
Update: I have already emailed ‘customer service’ 2x with no response yet. Further, I emailed Renee at her email address yesterday, again with no response to date. I have now advised my credit card company of this matter, including my numerous attempts to cancel this order, being hung up on, customer service 800 # not being answered, online chat not available for entire days and when available assistance denied, and / or session abruptly terminated by EcoCanteen rep.
My credit card company advises that Eco has attempted to authorize a charge that is more than my email receipt indicates it should be. I have filed a complaint with ConsumerAffairs.com. They have numerous, similar complaints about EcoCanteen. Fortunately, I managed to save the text from my first ‘online chat’ contact with EcoCanteen, and it clearly shows that within 1 hour of the order, I was on their website to cancel the order. Further, it shows that after Trish’s initial welcome, she never returned to the online chat window.
I find it interesting also, that now one of the customers posting here, tried to get ‘Trish’ to tell her where the company is located, and Trish appears to have refused to divulge that information. That is a serious violation of federal and state laws governing online / phone purchases.
Well, it looks like things are going from bad to worse. It doesn’t much matter if a product is good, if their customer service is bad or they act unethically, then it’s best not to purchase their product. Thanks for sharing your story. Please keep us posted.
I just saw a commercial for the EcoCanteen. It soundd great and the price was awesome. But it just seemed fishy.
So I googled and your blog is the first I find. I am happy that you love the canteen, but I think after reading all of this that I’d rather buy one of the spendier ones and just call it even. I just don’t need the stress involved in buying this thing.
Good luck. Hope they get it worked out. Now that it’s on a television rotation more and more people, it seems like, are about to be scr**ed.
Hi T.
Thanks for your comment. When you decide on a canteen to purchase, would you mind letting us know what you think about it and about the customer service they provide? It appears that many people would be grateful for other reviews.
Best regards,
Julia
eco canteen water bottles are too expensiive.
I have found discountmugs.com water bottles to be the cheapest & best quality.
afterall they are all made in china.
i found prices to be 50% cheaper & they offer free shipping
Here is the info
http://www.discountmugs.com/nc/category/sports-bottles/
zahra
I had ordered the ecocanteen on behalf of my mother last week but decided to canceled because too expensive for 2 adult canteens plus so-called “free” tote bags for total of $41.78. Yes, I was aware of ‘extra’ shipping charges for free tote bags. If I not mistaken, u don’t get see the total price AFTER the order is processed. When I navigated away from the ecocanteen site, a menu popped up with special order $5 extra off of $9.99 each. I decided to try to call them and tried cancel the order for to see I can get different order with special extra $5 off each, but they mentioned all orders that day won’t be process til next day at 10am. I called next day and got “sorry all agents busy and have a good day and thank you” message. I tried several calls to get a live agent but get the same message. I went and tried ecocanteencustomerservice.com, livechat is nonexistent (I believed they disabled the livechat link at that time because link is now working today). Even I emailed twice about my order and no response. Today order came in mail despite my efforts trying to cancel it. So finally got hold of agent today(I forget who). She told me there no email notifications about canceling the order and to get extra $5 off special each, I must send back the items I got today to get refund (MINUS 15% restocking fee) and reorder with special $5 extra off per canteen. I was very disappointed that she said the person is very prompt of returning emails (which is a lie since I sent twice). Only thing make this current order better is get $10 off.
Hello, Ifong Cheng.
Thank you for writing to tell about your experience. It seems the only way to get the $5 off is to first decline to order, then wait for the pop-up offer. My guess is that the 15% restocking fee will cost you more than the $10 you would have saved. For what it’s worth, the company reports that they are working hard to improve their service. I hope that the now-working Live Chat is an indication of that, but we’ll have to see what others report in the coming weeks.
Have you checked other canteen sites? Some others are priced at $19.95. I don’t know whether they charge shipping. Comparison shopping is a good idea, so if others want to provide us with prices, shipping costs, brands, web addresses, as well as reports about whether you are satisfied with your purchase, it would be a helpful service to our readers.
Hi Zahra.
Thanks for sending the link to this site. There are certainly lots of options! But please note that the price for each style varies depending on quantity. The more you buy (in the thousands, in some cases), the lower the price. The less you buy (minimum of 4 for the ones I looked at), the greater the cost. It looks like a great site for businesses that want to advertise. If anyone has experience with this company, please let us know.
Julia
they didn’t do anything
they said my account was being refunded the difference-nope (checked statement)
seems like they are cold intent on ripping me off
Hi Buddy.
As you’ll soon see, I’ve written to Renee at EcoCanteen to ask for her help. Renee has been very responsive (they should have 100 of her on staff!) to everyone, as far as I’ve seen. I believe she will help you get your refund. Please let us all know if and when the matter is resolved to your satisfaction.
Julia
I ordered and received two eco-canteen. Later I went back to the web site to see if I could order the tops you can drink out of directly. I found that you can’t. However, they sent me two more canteens which I did not order. When called the customer service they were very argumentitive and insisted that I hit a red button to order. I got hung up on also. I did not nor did I ever receive any confirmation of an order or I would have canceled. This is a SCAM! No one should order from eco-canteen. I also must pay a 15 percent restocking fee for there mishandling. Poor web site, poor customer service equals scam.
Hi John.
I’m forwarding your comment to Renee at EcoCanteen so she can take care of you. The company has serious customer service issues, but Renee has been most helpful in resolving most of the ones I’ve heard about (some are still in progress, I believe). Please keep us informed and let me know if and when your situation is resolved to your satisfaction.
Julia
I was corrected today
I ordered two eco canteens, and they arrived within 3 days! I am happy with the quality, but wish I would have ordered the pull-up tops for them. I went back to the website to see if I could order them, but they were not offered. Because I am disabled, use a service dog, I really need those quick-pull out tops. It takes so long for me to unscrew the tops now, and that’s so frustrating. But quality-wise, they are terrific, and I had no problems ordering at all–it was a very smooth transaction.che
Excellent! Thanks for letting us know, Buddy. I’m glad you got the resolution you wanted.
Hi Debi.
This is good news! I’m glad the ordering process went smoothly for you and that you like your canteens. I’ll submit your question to Renee at EcoCanteen (and cc you) to see if there’s a way for you to order the quick-pull tops. Although I haven’t used the EcoCanteen pull-top, I’ve tried another variety that was actually quite tough to pull open. So you may want to inquire whether that’s actually the case with the EcoCanteen tops. I’d hate to have you spend additional money only to find out they don’t work for you. Perhaps you could discuss your particular needs with Renee to be sure these tops will be right for your needs.
Thanks for writing, Debi.
Julia
I am trying to find out where this product is made. If it’s made in China, I have no interest in buying supposed stainless steel from them. I have bought several “stainless steel” things made in China and they rust!
Hi Dee.
Thanks for writing. My understanding is that they are made in China (as are several of the other leading canteen brands). I’ve been using my constantly for more than four months, with no signs of rust yet. Perhaps others can let us know if they’ve had the same good luck as I have had.
Julia
First, please use a nickname for me if you post this: “Scott”:
I placed an order on Monday evening, Aug 3rd. Pop-ups kept appearing, which were very mis-leading., Initially I decided not to place an order, but a po-up said it was special now, at 1/2 price. (Maybe it didn’t say that, but that’s what I read.) I went back online, started the order process, thinking I was getting 2 units for a total of $19.90 or so including S&H. I didn’t see the total until the order was placed. The total was $52.63. I immediately went on their customer service website and sent a “submission” with the order #, etc., requesting the order be cancelled. Repeated before thier phone lines opened on Tuesday (phone service starts at 9). Started calling when I was next available. Called 6 times. Put on hold; hung up on after 6 or 7 minutes, saying go to our “chat site” and thank you for your business. Went to the chat site; after waiting over 30 minutes, gave up. Sent another communique via their website, AND copied it and printed it out. I got Ms. Renee Leone McDonald’s email address from your website late Wed (8/5), and sent her an email requesting the order be cancelled. She responded immediately, that she would forward to the Mgr of Customer Service, Trish. If I haven’t heard by noon today, I will be back in touch with Ms. McDonald. In the meantime, I’m waiting for when the charge is posted on my credit card. Once that happens, i will block it.
Hi Scott.
Since you got hold of Renee, I’m confident you’ll get your charge refunded. I’m glad you contacted her to alert her of the pop-up issue, too. As my customer service rep from my phone/cable/internet company just told me, “We don’t know you’re having problems if you don’t report them.” Good luck! And please keep us posted.
Julia
I recieved my 2 canteens in about 5 days. No problems. Billed as bought. 1/2 price on the canteens(I bought 2). BUT EXPENSIVE SHIPPING AS EVERYTHING CAME IN THE SAME ENVELOPE
The tote does a fair insulating job. I freeze 1/2 a bottle of drink then fill up the rest with refrigerated drink. after several hours the tote gets wet on the out side.
The canteens are made of low grade stainless. A magnet sticks to them, so they may rust in the future.
Hi Peter.
Thanks for sharing your story and your great tip for keeping drinks cold. I’ll have to try that. Also, I didn’t know that high-quality stainless doesn’t hold magnets. (You’re a wealth of information. Perhaps you’d like to write a post?)
I agree that the shipping charge seems excessive. Perhaps if enough customers express their dissatisfaction with the shipping charges, the company will reconsider. Worth a try, for sure.
Julia
Earlier I had written about receiving two canteens I did not order. Julia worked with me and Eco-Canteen and I got my credit card fully reversed and I returned the product. The product seems good enough, but they need work on the customer service and their website.
Julia, thank you very much for your work on my behalf!
John
John,
Glad you got your refund! I’m happy I could help. Thanks for reporting back on your experience.
Your comments about both the product and the customer service/website are right on. They’re undergoing growing pains. Their reusable drink containers are terrific, so I hope they get the kinks out of their customer service soon.
Julia
The more I look around for a replacement for the eco canteen sports cap that shattered into a million pieces when it hit the floor, the more I see eco canteen is nothing more then a headache for amost everyone.
I bought one to save money on plastic bottles. Now I buy one large plastic bottle to fill an aluminium replacement I bought from Wally World for $4. Which I actually like better than the eco canteen.
I do however do not like the way Eco canteen is doing business and it doesn’t look like many others do either.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/ecocanteen.html
http://www.foodliabilitylaw.com/uploads/file/IBWA%20-%20Eco%20Canteen%20Complaint.pdf
Save yourself money, headache an hassle and go to Wally World to get a water bottle. Dicks Sportinggoods also has a large selection.
Do I have to get return authorization number from eco canteen to return bottles. I cancel my order but bottles been shipped to me anyway. It seems to me that I did not pay for them and I want to return them.
Hi Kelly.
There are lots of different canteens to choose from. If you found one you like, that’s terrific. If you still have your EcoCanteen, you might contact Renee (rmcdonald@ecocanteen.org) to find out how to get a replacement cap. I doubt they’re available anywhere else.
So far, the company (with Renee’s expert help) has been very active in responding to complaints lodged through this website. If others have issues with EcoCanteen, please contact Renee directly.
It’s easy to assume that a company is irresponsible when you only see negative comments, but please keep in mind that people with a complaint tend to be much more vocal than those who are satisfied. In fact, happy customers rarely seek out a website to lodge a compliment. EcoCanteen reportedly has sold thousands of bottles…
Hi Sergey.
Unfortunately, I don’t know what the procedure is for returning an EcoCanteen. Please contact Renee at rmcdonald@ecocanteen.org. I’m sure Renee will help you. She has been very helpful to others so far.
Julia
I bought 2 Eco Canteens and received exactly what I ordered! My dog destroyed one of the insulated totes, but I can’t blame a manufacturer for my dog’s behavior.
As far as complaints regarding the shipping go, I thought the shipping charge was a little steep, but pretty much in line with other retailers. All fees were clearly disclosed on the web site and on my receipt.
If this product causes less plastic to end up in land fills, I am all for it!
Read the details before placing orders. If the seller does what they say they are going to do, don’t blame the seller when you have second thoughts about the fees at a later date.
Most of the complaints I have read seem more like “I wish I hadn’t bought this”. Don’t hold companies responsible for lack of forethought on your part!
Hi Jeff.
Thanks for sharing your comments — and your suggestion to read everything carefully. It’s wisdom we all need to learn from, especially when purchasing things sight-unseen on the web.
As far as this product causing less plastic to end up in landfills, I can testify that I’ve stopped buying water bottles completely now that I use a metal bottle. I’m not sure how many that would be exactly; but if I had bought a bottle a day since I got my EcoCanteen, I’ve probably avoided buying at least 100 bottles. And there’s no end in sight, as my canteen is holding up very, very well. Any good, reusable canteen will have the same effect — and as you know, we save a lot of money in the long run by not buying bottled water, much more than the cost of purchasing or shipping whatever brand of canteen we buy.
I ordered 2 eco canteens on Aug 18th after seeing an ad for them on TV during a flight on Jet Blue airlines. I was kind of looking for one, but when I saw the prices in the stores, I was a bit turned off, so the eco canteen caught my eye. I ordered the 2 bottles. One for me, one for my wife. I do admit, the site is pretty bad, and they are sneaky about the way they get your for the shipping charges. I was able to get the bottles for $4.99 by declining the first offer on the page. Total for 2 canteens, and 2 insulator totes was $31.78 shipped, so it really didn’t end up being that much cheaper than buying one in the store, although I did get the totes for that price. I got them 3 days later via UPS. They did come packaged poorly in a yellow bubble envelope, but no damage or anything to them. I washed them, and I’ve been using them. So far I’m very happy. I have had no issues. I did email Renee to find out if I can buy the extra caps and stuff somewhere else, but haven’t heard back yet. All in all, I think they’re a good deal. Sure, they hide charges on you, but now that we know how it’s calculated, you can decide before you actually purchase. Hope this helps.
Hi Rob.
Thanks for sharing your story and comments. I’m sure your tip about declining the first offer on the page will be helpful to others who are interested in buying EcoCanteens. Glad to hear you’re satisfied with your canteens.
Julia
I just recieved my order of 5 Eco Canteens via one small package from USPS.
I was wondering why I paid for shipping for each item when they came in one small package. Called them and was told alot of businesses charge per item wnen they ship that way. Not my business or people I do business with or we would be out of business. I was going to be a repeat customer as I use the cannteens for promotion. I also filed this with the BBB as I think there is something not genuine about these charges. Too bad now adays you run on to someone that thinks charging you like this is the way to do business.
R.W.,
You have a valid point, and I hope EcoCanteen is paying attention. I know that companies often offer inexpensive products, then charge high fees for shipping, but it’s not the way to make friends with your customers and keep them coming back for more.
For example, my daughter just ordered her entire semester’s worth of college textbooks from a particular online textbook company — even though some of the items were more expensive there than elsewhere — because that site shipped all of her books in a single box for a flat shipping charge. Two other sites she looked at quoted individual shipping charges for each book. There may have been valid reasons (like shipping from various locations) for the high shipping charges, but that’s not the point. The company that was able and willing to consolidate all the shipping charges into one, flat rate earned her business. And if she weren’t graduating in December, I can guarantee you that she would be using the same textbook company again and again and again. EcoCanteen could learn something here.
Julia
Hi Julia,
I want to thank you for your site. The customer reviews were very good. I feel that I can now make a informed decision. I have decided it’s not worth the gamble with this company, as I don’t have alot of valuable free time to run after them if something goes wrong. I must say in my opinion, the first mistake eco canteen has made is, not offering you a job with great pay. It seems that you have a better track record of responding to their customers than they do.
Hi Troy.
Thanks for visiting BPGL — and for your comments.
You know, I’d love to have a job with great pay (we’re an all-volunteer organization so far), but I don’t think it will be in customer service. LOL
From what Renee (the amazing woman who actually gets these problems resolved at the company) tells me, EcoCanteen has ramped up their customer service team. I can only hope they have hired well. If the responses to this post are any indication, they need all the positive customer interaction they can get.
Please come back and visit us often. And if you have an eco story to tell, let us know. We’d love to hear it!
Julia
Here’s the deal. I ordered one of those stupid things today. I was about to leave the site because I thought $15 for a chunk of plain metal is a little pricey. Then they made me an offer to take $5 off the base price, so i figured it would be a good deal and went for it. I entered my information and was told on the very next page that my order had been processed – no confirmation page, just “here’s what we’re charging you, and there’s nothing you can do about it”. That normally wouldn’t be a big problem, but then I realized they still charged me around $15. Apparently they extra $5 was for the “optional” and “free” tote that I never saw as an option and will probably never use. From the comments I’ve read on other review sites, it’s no wonder the president has to hire more customer service; every order is followed by a complaint.
Hi Fangenator,
If you are unhappy with your purchase and need some help getting it canceled, please contact Renee at EcoCanteen: rmcdonald@econcanteen.org. Renee has been most helpful in getting satisfaction for our readers who have complaints about their orders.
If you don’t cancel your order, I hope you’ll be quite satisfied. BTW, my husband uses his “tote” all the time. It keeps his drink cool and prevents sweating on the bottle.
Julia
I had the exact same experience when ordering an ecocanteen. While I love the idea of the product their business practices are horrid and I too will report them to the BBB and atty general. Trish also told me that my order had been canceled and that she sent me an email to confirm but I have received nothing. This business of tricking you into purchasing with undisclosed amounts until you are already checked out is really disgraceful. Shipping 2 bottles and FREE totes costs less than $4 total and they charge $22 only to tell you after… Originally I wanted to alter my order to one bottle and no tote but when I attempted to contact them and was hung up on twice and blocked from customer service chat after my first contact which was also rude I don’t want to give them any money at all. I will report them for this deceitful practice!!
thank you for letting people see the truth about this company. I am a huge believer in green practice and was the reason I was purchasing in the first place but clearly just because a company states they are green doesn’t mean they are good. !!!
Dina
I tried to send an email to Renee and this is what I got back…
Do Not Purchase From This Company….. it’s a SCAM.
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.
Delivery to the following recipients failed.
rmcdonald@econcanteen.org
Liane,
Please look at the email address you used for Renee. You have “econcanteen.org.” It should be “ecocanteen.org.” Try again with the correct address, and you’ll have no trouble reaching her, I’ll bet. If I inadvertently gave you the wrong email address, please accept my apology!
Please let us know if you still are unable to contact Renee.
Julia
Hi Dina.
I am very sorry you had that experience. I agree with you that they need to do something to improve the ordering process. Please write directly to Renee at rmcdonald@ecocanteen.org and tell her about the problem you had. If enough people complain, they will eventually be forced to change the way they do business — or go out of business. Renee is a good person who works hard to solve our readers’ order problems. I believe she will do her best to help you to return the product and get your money back, if that’s what you desire. Please keep us posted! Julia
I bought 3 adult size and 2 kid size and upgraded the top to the stainless steel type. They actually arrived faster than I expected. Everything works perfectly. Charges for shipping and handling were resaonable. At my work, I do a lot of shipping and companies do make money from the shipping. Nothing unusual, just business. I was actually happy that they only charge teh extra $7 something for the entire order cause I chose expedited service. I remember in another company where I chose expedited shipping and they actually charge the extra shipping fee for EACH ITEM!!!! Anyway, no complains here, only praise!!!
Hi Rick,
Thanks for sharing your positive comments. I’m sure it’s heartening for the folks at EcoCanteen to hear them. While there will always be unhappy customers and situations that need to be remedied, very few people take time to speak up when things go right. I love my EcoCanteen, and I’m glad you do, too!
Julia
My husband and I have been using the EcoCanteens for a couple of months now, and we love them. They have been dropped, banged, run over by my powerchair, and still, they seem positively indestructible. I have both the regular caps and the pull-up caps. I live with a disability and find the pull-up caps much easier to use just because twisting is difficult for me. Having put these bottles to a real test, I have to say that this is the best new product of the year for me. I plan to order more of them for Christmas for my family and friends. They are strong, hold up well to harsh handling, have a fantastic wide mouth for putting ice cubes through, and they are also very handsome! Great product, and absolutely excellent customer service, in my personal experience.
Thanks for sharing your comments, Debi. I’m sure many others have had similarly positive experiences, but the number of people who come forth to pay a compliment is always fewer than the number who are willing to tell their story when they are unhappy. It’s human nature. We complain to get our problems fixed (and that’s totally fair), but we forget to say nice things when all goes well. Thanks for adding your voice to the positive side of the discussion.
I recently purchased a set of Green Canteens from a Kmart in Melbor New Jersey, where I had been working as a sound engineer for a Pastors Convention on beautiful Ocean Avenue…..The job was very rewarding and i was ,however,looking for a container to carry throughout my hectic days in the hotel i was staying at..as i had free use of all hotel drinks. I decided to purchase the canteen based on the fact that it was “green” and had a stylish appeal that i could carry from gym to business meetings with ease and convenience…I was quite excited to have purchased the item…my coworker joked upon seeing the canteens in the lobby of the hotel if in fact it was a bomb when he went to pick it up and examine it..the job lasted a week and I just got back on late friday.
Saturday I went to church in NJ from 9-5pm with a good friend and brought along the canteen with some left over orange juice with added orang drink for the ride which during the entire time i did not need to use the canteen and left it in the car…afterward i asked if we could stop by a local Kmart off of exit Kearny….inside
he and i went our separate ways to shop and we ran into on another in an aisle…in his hand he had a similar canteen but it was another brand..(like “Dj” or something)-he began to say that he was looking for a container to use to take to class, he is a teacher. I encouraged him to instead purchase the green canteen but he insisted he didnt want something with a twist top but something with a flip top. I continued to encourage him to purchase the green canteen but he wouldnt budge and almost seem wary of it.
This morning I took the two containers blue and silver from the refrigerator and left them on my table where it had been for approximately three hours where i forgot it..
When i was thirsty i began to open the blue canteen containing the orange drink it exploded in my face when it happen my reaction was to turn my face away from it to such an extreme that now i seem to have injured my neck as i cannot turn it all the way to the left and there is a progressive stiffness building down my neck and spine.I do not have insurance. If this injury continues into tomorrow morning I will have no choice but to go to the local emergency room and decide from there how to handle this incident.
I wanted to get in touch with someone from the company. I read the instructions 3x before even opening the product because I wanted to make sure they would last.
No where on this box does it warn against something like this….I am extremely disappointed and feel quite foolish for purchasing the product.
D. Fonfrias
Your Green Canteen is not the same brand that my post discusses, which is EcoCanteen. While they may be very similar, they are not, to my knowledge, sold by the same retailer.
Hello,
This is EcoCanteen Customer Service. We have read this blog and have noted that there are some frustrations, particularly with the order process and the pricing. To better clear this up, we want to address these points.
The web platform and order process that EcoCanteen uses is identical to almost every Infomercial or Direct Response TV (DRTV) product advertised. There are three major companies in the United States that design, build and maintain websites for most of these companies. We use the largest of these firms to design and host Ecocanteen.com.. DRTV websites, like Ecocanteen.com, commonly have a simple landing page that shows the commercial, gives details about the product advertised, displays all pricing and shipping/handling costs, and has an order form. Once customers complete their purchase by clicking the “Process Order” button at the bottom of EcoCanteen.com, they are taken to a series of other product pages where they can add additional items to their order. After several pages, which all display the pricing and shipping/handling, the customer sees their receipt page.
Our prices are clearly stated on the home page of http://www.ecocanteen.com. The EcoCanteen is $9.99 plus $5.95 shipping/handling and comes with a bonus insulated tote plus the shipping of $4.95. All together one adult bottle with an insulated tote comes to $20.89, which is less than Klean Kanteen and other competitors we’ve price checked, and their prices do not include a tote. Customers are also asked if they would like to upgrade to a deluxe model that has a stainless steel lid and lifetime guarantee for an additional $7.95 each. The Kid’s EcoCanteen is $8.95 plus $4.95 shipping/handling and $4.95 shipping/handling for the tote. Never Spill Pull Tops (sports lids) are $4.95 and have no Shipping and Handling. And there is also an offer for rush shipment which is a flat rate of $7.84 in addition to the regular Shipping and Handling.
If you would like to contact EcoCanteen with a question, comment, or for help with a Customer Service issue we encourage you to visit us at http://www.ecocanteencustomerservice.com. The site offers FAQs and our Customer Service phone number.
Thank You,
The EcoCanteen Customer Service Team
i got an eco canteen and i love it
i seen throughout this post all the complaints about shipping and handling
and customer support
anyways, i would recommend people to do what i did: buy it at a store, sure shipping is convenient and all, but it gives people headaches with all the complicated process of charging a card and paying shipping
the only downside is you don’t get a “free” tote
But i feel a quick trip to a store is faster and with less worry than shipping it
ps, i bought mine at CVS/Pharmacy
Thanks for your suggestion, Al. I’m glad to hear you’re happy with your Eco Canteen. I like mine quite well, too.
Julia
BJ,s Wholesale club sells a three pack of bottles, with 3 regular screw cap AND 3 sipper caps. They are EXACTLY the same size as ecocanteen (caps are interchangable with eco no leaks!!). Plus the stainless is of better quality (Magnet does not stick) all three for $14.99!!!!
D. Fonfrias’s orange juice probably started to ferment causing excess pressure…………
As for a cooler cover… you can take three sheets of newspaper, wrap it around the bottle(not to tight, or you will have problems in & out), fold over the bottom for a nice fit. Secure with masking tape. Trim edges also. Find cover (cloth / plastic) design of choice and fit to this. This will keep your drink colder way longer than eco cantten cover. This is just a quick description you can elaborate as much as you like!!
Hi Peter.
Thanks for your suggestions. I particularly like your inventive approach to insulating your canteen. Got a photo to share? I’ll bet others would love to see it. I know I would.
Julia
Ordered two canteens but never received them, however I was billed for them. I sent multiple e-mails never heard back then I began calling the company after about 6 weeks from purchase date. I received many messages about them not being able to take my call and to call back. Finally after almost two months trying to reach the company I got in contact with their one and only customer service manager “Trish”. Trish was very rude to say the least. She stated I gave the wrong address but her records showed I received the canteens. When I questioned this statement she hung up on me. I called back many times and soon as I idenitfied my self she hung up on me. Finally she did give me the address where the canteens were sent to so I called the post office of that city and they had no idea what I was talking about. The post office asked for a tracking number. So when I tried to get the tracking number from the company the same thing happened Trish continued to hang up on me multiple times soon as I identified myself. I got my husband and daughter to call on my behalf and she lied to them and told them they had the wrong number even though the begining message was for the Eco Canteen company. I still have not received my canteens or a tracking number. So, if anyone could help please let me know. However, comsumers beware!!!!
Thanks for sharing your story, Emma. I am very sorry to hear you have been so frustrated in trying to get service. Please contact Renee at rmcdonald@ecocanteen.org. Renee has been extremely helpful in getting such issues resolved. If you are unsuccessful in contacting Renee, please be sure to let me know, and I will contact the company on your behalf.
I had never heard of this product before, but a couple of months ago, I cashed in some credit card points and got this canteen. I absolutely love it. I use it everyday which has helped me save money and forced me to increase my water intake. I guess because I essentially got this for “free” it has been a great return on investment!
Oh and the top screws on really tight. I was so weighted down the other day that I tossed the canteen into my purse and nothing spilled!
Hi Michele. Thanks for sharing your comment with us. Joe and I love our Eco Canteens as well.
Julia
I bought my Eco canteen at CVS for only $4.99 in their As Seen on T.V. section. Lucky for me I waited until it was available in stores. It seems like most folks are dissatisfied with the price and the service rather than the product itself. I think the canteen is a great alternative to plastic water bottles. It does however get very wet on the outside with very cold water. Other than that, it serves it’s purpose and I plan on using it and saving lots of money not buying plastic bottles!
Hi Liz.
Thanks for writing to let us know that you’re satisfied with your Eco Canteen. At $4.99, it’s a real bargain!
What I noticed about my own Eco Canteen is that the bottle does not sweat in cooler weather. In the summertime, it will sweat a lot. That’s why I put the zippered tote around it. In fact, we now use the zippered totes on our bottles all the time, as they help keep hot drinks warm (though this is not a thermos, mind you) and cold drinks cool.
Julia
I just bought 6 EcoCanteens at CVS for $7.50. Yep you read that right… 6 for $7.50. These seem to be very well made bottles and I consider it a total steal for what I paid. Too bad the company disappeared, I would have liked to get a tote or two and some stainless steel lids. If ayyone has any info on where I can get these (without paying shipping for each item) Let me know. Seems like a great product with terrible support and distribution.
Apparently this company has dissapeared.
Web site no longer exists.
You can now find these bottles really cheap everywhere I assume some clearing house bought up all the leftover stock when they went belly up. I got bought 4 of them on woot.com the other day for like $2.00 each. I like the canteen seems really solid. Unfortunatly it appears they are gonea and there is no customer service. Nto that I have needed it.
Hi Dave.
I’m sorry if they have gone out of business. They had some customer service issues, but were always excellent to our readers who had problems with their canteens. I use my Eco Canteen almost daily and still think it’s a great product. Thanks for passing on your observations. Please stop by Blue Planet Green Living again soon.
Hi Julie:
I have had my eco canteen for two years now. It is the best thing I have ever purchased on impulse. I bought mine at CVS for $3 each on clearance; I bought three, one for me and one for my wife and one for my 14 year old. One of them was the sports bottle type lid with a pop up spout so you can drink from it without unscrewing the lid. This is my only issue as the pop up leaks. I have looked to buy more with the solid bottle top as these are excellent. Buy the one with the screw off lid and not the pop up sports type lid. Moral of the story is the less moving parts the better. All in all, I give the eco canteen 5 stars!!
Plastic bottles should be outlawed. Not sure why water companies can not use cardboard containers similar to those used by OJ manufacturers.
Anyway, thanks for listening!!
Jason.
Hi Jason.
Thanks for your comment. Like you, we love our two Eco Canteens. Neither has the pop up, though. You’re no doubt right that fewer parts make better bottles. Our only issue is that we got our bottles at different times, and if we get the lids mixed up, then they both leak. They’re fine if we keep the right lid with the right bottle.
I agree that plastic bottles are a huge problem. Unfortunately, the tetra boxes aren’t much better. The only way to recycle them in my community is to pull all the layers apart. We don’t commingle our recyclables, though, so perhaps they’re recyclable in that situation. As a nation, we need to come up with a better solution. Glass is back in many soda bottles. I’m not positive that’s the best way to go, but it’s probably superior to plastic and tetra boxes.
Thanks for stopping by,
Julia