Ditch the Plastic and Steel Water Bottles! Why You Need A Bamboo & Wheat Straw Bottle

We all know that plastic water bottles, whether single-use or reusable, are no friend to our environment. With an estimated 8-10% of the world’s oil resources going towards producing petroleum based plastics and just a fraction of which ever being recycled, the planet is already suffering the consequences, so it’s really no wonder many of us first turned to stainless steel water bottles. These are frequently marketed as really eco-friendly, but they are actually highly energy intensive to manufacture – even worse than plastic in that regard – and can be terribly difficult to recycle.

In fact, the idea for S’wheat came about when our founders were just two students who noticed that there was a distinct gap in the reusable water bottle market. Their peers frequently reused disposable water bottles as stainless steel bottles were bulky, hard to clean, and consequently began to taste unpleasant and metallic after a short amount of time.

We wanted to create an alternative to mainstream reusable bottles which was low energy to produce, gave more back to the earth than it took away, and practical in every sense of the word. Stainless steel and plastic water bottles were an absolute no-go for us, but we still wanted to be sure we were creating a quality product that was lightweight, durable, and insulated, so we decided to look into the nature of plant based bioplastics, and from this, the S’wheat bottle was created.

S’wheat wheat and bamboo water bottle in ‘Green’

So, what was it that led us to make a bamboo and wheat straw bottle over anything else?

✓ they provide additional income to farmers for waste 

✓ they reduce emissions caused by farmers burning excess by-products

✓ they are resistant to adverse weather conditions such as droughts or flooding

✓ they grow anywhere with ease

✓ they rarely suffer from infection due to their resilient natures

✓ they require no artificial pesticides or fertilisers 

✓ they are naturally antimicrobial 

✓ they are hardy yet lightweight

✓ they are gluten free

Bamboo is well renowned for its versatility and strength, but it is also highly renewable, growing at a rapid rate and requiring so little maintenance. Amongst its many valuable qualities, bamboo contains a bacteria called bamboo kun, which is what makes it so resistant to infection and damage from pests. This is also what gives it its antibacterial properties, which makes a bamboo water bottle certainly the most healthy and sustainable option around.

Wheat works similarly to bamboo in the sense that it is really low maintenance and can thrive in almost any environment. In fact, they were perfect for our goal to truly give back to the earth as during photosynthesis, wheat actually extracts more carbon from the atmosphere than it produces, making our material carbon negative. 

The most common issue with wheat straw products is the inclusion of melamine as this means it won’t biodegrade, compost, or be able to be recycled. It’s also not safe for contact with high temperatures as this causes the chemicals within to leach into your food or drink. For these reasons, we never include harsh chemicals in our wheat straw bottle. 

S’wheat bamboo and wheat straw bottle in ‘Oat’

What are bioplastics exactly?

The term bioplastics, or plant based plastics, simply refers to a material that mimics the structure of traditional petroleum based plastics, but is made from natural materials. Natural resources that are commonly used to make bioplastics include corn, rice, sugar, bamboo, and wheat. Two types of bioplastics are polylactic acids (PLAs) which occur naturally in plants, or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) which are engineered from microorganisms, which means these generally have the potential to biodegrade or compost. However, at times this isn’t possible due to manufacturers including unnatural chemicals within the material. 

Bioplastics that have been treated with pesticides or fertilisers can allegedly produce more pollutants than petroleum based plastics. Those that are not ‘EN13432 certified’, meaning they contain some sort of chemical such as melamine and BPA, are not able to be recycled, composted, or biodegraded, and are also not safe for food usage when exposed to high temperatures. The health risks are also pretty unclear and likely won’t be apparent until further into the future, but have been thought to cause disruptions to the endocrine system, which controls the hormones, as well as increasing the risk of certain cancers. For all of these reasons, S’wheat never uses BPA or melamine in our products, and our innovative material means that we can skip on unnatural chemicals that originate from using fertilisers and pesticides. 

What makes S’wheat so great?

Restores the Earth - With each and every bottle we sell, we plant a native tree – but we were sick of greenwashing companies who say this and have no evidence to back it up, which is why you can track your tree and see exactly what impact you have made. 

When you co-brand with S’wheat, we will plant a minimum of 50 trees in your company’s name and provide you with an informative impact report detailing the environmental difference you have made with your purchase! Check out one of our co-brand case studies to see what we can do for you.

Insulated - Our bamboo and wheat straw bottle is insulated with a natural eco thermal wall, which means it can keep drinks hot or cold for hours. Due to the easy-to-clean design and antibacterial properties, the S’wheat reusable bottle can be used for water, juice, tea, coffee, and will remain odour free and tasting fresh. 

Lightweight - This bottle makes a brilliant travel companion as it is nearly half the weight of a stainless steel water bottle at just 250 grams. Plus, the handy carabiner clip means you can attach it to yourself to save space in your bag. 

Durable - Seriously, anyone clumsy needs this bottle right now. With a three times higher tensile strength than a stainless steel reusable bottle, you couldn’t break it if you tried!

S’wheat reusable bottle in ‘Blue’

RRP £25, Available in 4 colours online