Vapur - the reusable, flexible water bottle

Personally, I’m not a fan of bottled water. Firstly, tap water in many parts of the world is safe, tastes fine, and it's free. Then there's the waste that bottle water causes – an enormous amount of energy is consumed in manufacture and most bottles end up in landfill. So when I see a product like the Vapur, I instantly warm to it. It’s a flexible, reusable water container that rolls up like a tube of toothpaste when its empty to fit in your pocket, purse or backpack – then in the dishwasher, not in the trash.

Vapur quotes statistics that put this waste in perspective - that energy consumed to make the yearly U.S. requirement of 50 billion bottles is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil and only about 23 percent of bottles are recycled. It's estimated that around 200 billion bottles of water are sold globally, and the figures seem to be growing - although in one town in New South Wales, Australia, the residents and shopkeepers joined forces to ban the sale of bottled water because of the unnecessary waste it caused (and the fact that they had an adequate supply of good drinking water on tap).

Vapur is designed to fit in your pocket, purse, backpack or briefcase and holds 16oz (473ml). Unlike rigid water bottles retain their size, even when empty, Vapur can be rolled, folded or flattened and stowed away, meaning it goes more places and fits in tighter spaces than any other bottle.

Reusable, resealable, foldable, attachable, identifiable, freezable and even dishwasher safe – what more do you want if you’ve got a clean water supply? Oh, and there are different colors to choose from, too, and replaceable spouts and sports caps.

The cost - just less than US$9. A bargain if you are prepared to swap bottled water for the stuff that comes out of your tap.

Via Red Ferret.