Ever sipped from your PATH and thought, 'How many refills will it take to save the planet?' In the fight against single-use plastic, this question resonates with so many of us who are eager to refill and ditch single-use. Diving into this question, we'll share the metrics around PATH bottles – the epitome of durability and reusability in a world overwhelmed with single-use.
The design and purpose behind PATH bottles
PATH bottles are intentionally designed to be thicker and aesthetically pleasing to support longevity and reusability. Contrasting sharply with flimsy aluminum bottles, PATH bottles are not just for one-time use; they're built to endure and to be refilled. That's because PATH's overarching mission is to counteract single-use plastic. We've estimated that PATH drinkers refill their bottles at least six times on average, representing seven single-use water bottles eliminated from being used.
But how many refills does it take to make an impact?
Anytime you refill your PATH more than three times, you're making a positive impact on the planet. The average PATH drinker refills their PATH 6 times or more, which is awesome - it's the whole point! It's been estimated that people, on average, purchase about 156 single-use bottles of water every year. Suppose you refill your PATH for a year instead of reaching for one of those 156 single-use bottles. In that case, you've effectively eliminated your contribution to the single-use plastic crisis and can hit the repeat button for years.
The 7-day challenge impact
In just one week with a PATH, you could potentially eliminate 46 single-use plastic bottles from use. In a recent 7-Day PATH Challenge at CVS, people took to calculating their water intake needs and refilling their PATH daily for seven days accordingly. This translated to nearly 46 plastic bottles being eliminated from use. The seemingly small act has significant environmental implications, especially when compounding the number of people who refill as a habit.
Carbon emissions from bottled water
A single-use plastic bottle has a carbon footprint of about 159gCO2e. Taking from the 7-day challenge, if you were to eliminate 46 single-use bottles, the total carbon savings would be:
(7 Day Challenge) 46 bottles×159gCO2e/bottle = 7,314gCO2e/42 single-use plastic bottles
(Study - Estimated # of bottles/person/year) 156 bottles×159gCO2e/bottle = 24,804gCO2e/42 single-use plastic bottles
Now, compare that to 1 PATH bottle at 396.99g CO2e footprint. The magic unveils itself with every refill. It's here at the three refill mark that PATH bottles start drastically cutting down on carbon emissions. This reduction in 7,314gCO2e equates to the same amount of carbon emitted from driving 21 miles or streaming 132 hours of Netflix.
The life cycle of a PATH
PATH isn't just another brand; it's a revolution. With a life cycle designed to outshine disposable bottles, the impact of refilling with your PATH is limitless. By emitting fewer carbon emissions after its third use, when compared to disposable bottled water, PATH is truly a positive force for the environment. One PATH bottle's footprint comprises 375.23g in materials, 8.68g in manufacturing, and 14.19g in transportation, giving us a total of 396.99g CO2e footprint.
Sustainability is a journey
On the sustainability journey, transparent and authentic tools like Life Cycle Assessments become important in calculating just how many refills it takes to make an impact. Sadly, many companies shy away from such transparency, often due to unsustainable practices, not at PATH. That's because we're disrupting the bottled water industry with reuse.
"We are driving the mission of the people to get rid of single-use plastic bottled water by offering a product that aligns with the needs of our planet." - Ali Orabi, Co-Founder and CMO.