The cyclical nature of water bottles – The Observer

Living on a college campus means I’m afforded the pleasure of seeing the newest trends in reusable water bottles up close and personal. First, it was the Hydro Flask, although that started to die off a bit after my first year, but soon after that, Stanley Tumblers took the world by storm. I remember watching from my phone in horror as people stampeded into Target for the hot pink Barbie and Stanley collab. Now, a new player has entered the scene—the Owala, boasting color waves with impressive names such as “Sandy Shores,” “Tangy Tango” and, one of my favorites, “Gemstone Clinic.”

Now, I love fun, aesthetic containers as much as the next gal, but something about the marketing surrounding reusable water bottles recently has been confounding me. For one, the prices of these water bottles are simply absurd. With Hydro Flasks, at their peak in 2019, coming in at around $40, Stanley’s hovering around $45 and Owalas—a generally more cost-efficient option—at roughly $28. I can remember when reusable water bottles used to hover around the $10 price range, yet when I went to find a new bottle at Target for the school year, I couldn’t find a decent one for less than $25. As a result of these recent water bottle trends, I can only surmise that people have rapidly increased their willingness to pay for a high-quality water bottle, but that’s only one problem.

First, let’s start with a bit of history. In the year 2019, the “VSCO Girl” trend took off on social media, boosting Hydro Flask into a new era of fame. People were feigning for these cups, and they even became a trendy “political” symbol for young people to outwardly show how environmentally conscious they were. Students began to carry these bottles separately from their bags as many of them were too big to fit in cup holders, scoring the brand free advertisement and inspiring more and more people to purchase them.

Only a couple of years later in 2021, the Stanley 40-ounce Quencher became the company’s best seller, and from 2021 to 2023, Stanley was able to increase its annual revenue from 194 million dollars to 750 million. This wild increase in revenue was largely owed to a similar social media craze as people began to tote around their clunky water bottles, matching the new pastel tones to their aesthetic. The Stanley Tumblers had more of a function than just serving ice cold water—it became an accessory. As a result, TikTok did what it does best, pushing an array of cup add-ons. Now there are straw covers to keep dust particles from flying into the open top of the straw, little charms you can tie around the obnoxiously large handle of the cup, even little backpacks you can tie around the body of your cup to keep your money and lip balm. Stanley did the unthinkable. It transitioned the reusable water bottle from an environmentally-conscious water-holder to an aesthetically-pleasing fashion statement.

And I know what you’re thinking—weren’t the bedazzled Starbucks cups of 2018 already doing that? Well, yes and no. I would argue that while Starbucks Cold Cups did serve as an accessory, they were more of a vehicle meant to fuel America’s caffeine obsession, preying on people’s desire to start collections rather than focusing on a trendy way to stay hydrated. Starbucks successfully managed to convince millennials around the country, and even the world, that the cup, rather than the drink inside of it, was the main appeal of the reusable water bottle. In this way, I would say Stanley came to represent the “healthy” version of the Starbucks cup, marketed more toward water consumption and fitness to a younger audience through its sleek, rather than eye-catching, design.

It is estimated that the reusable water bottle market in America will grow from nearly 1700 million dollars in 2023 to 2700 million by 2032 as consumers continue to take on eco-friendly products, traditional water fountains continue to disappear around the country and people continue to follow trends. It’s clear that the trendiness of promoting a healthy lifestyle, environmental conservatism and water intake has value in the market. It’s the reason why bottle after bottle keeps climbing the ranks to become the next biggest craze. Though here lies the irony. The point of a reusable water bottle is largely meant to support a reduction in our use of plastic bottles and a turn from overconsumption. Yet as new bottles continue to roll into the spotlight, we’re greeted time and time again with collectors desperate to have the newest limited edition water bottle, much in a way that mirrors trends we’ve seen in technology and fashion. Furthermore, it’s apparent through videos on “WaterTok,” a TikTok sub-community focused on creating flavored waters in huge tumblers, that many people who use these water bottles resort to filling their bottles from individual plastic bottles anyway, only producing either the same or an increased amount of waste due to ownership of multiple reusable bottles and plastic waste.

Today, water bottles are surely a fashion statement, and I’m not going to deny that I too often fall victim to this marketing. While going from class to class, I admire the fun designs, stickers people have adorned the outsides with and unique caps. Yet I think it’s important to examine how often and why we want these new products. How much joy is buying a new water bottle going to bring you? Is it just going to collect dust in the back of your cabinet or are you going to make sure you get use out of it? How much are you willing to pay for a different version of an item you already own? As we head into climate action month, let’s start asking ourselves more questions about our consumption habits because the fact of the matter is that, as consumers, we have a responsibility to maintain our environment. After all, as far as we know, we only have one earth.