The 6 Benefits of Copper Bottles that You Need to Know // Global WAKEcup Review

Before I begin, can we take a moment for the name of this brand – Global WAKEcup … so clever! I am a bit of a sucker for a good pun.

In all seriousness though, we do need a good wake up call to recognise damage that we are inflicting on our poor little planet, and in turn, on our poor little selves.

And what better way to start making a difference than replacing single-use plastic bottles with a very cool looking copper bottle? I can definitely get on board with that idea! In fact, I have already purchased two! Love them!! 🙂 Here’s why:

1. Help in the Fight Against Single-Use Plastics

If we all opt for re-usable, re-fillable bottles rather than single-use plastic bottles, we will make a huge impact together. Our marine life is severely suffering with the massive quantity of plastic already in our seas. This has a huge subsequent effect on human health as these plastics make their way into our food chain. These bottles are one very effective way to help ‘turn off the tap’ on single-use plastics.

[Nerd alert!] For you Arts & Crafts enthusiasts out there, why not take it a step further and create a storage container out of the cardboard tube? We’re using ours to hold tea bags – The Engineer‘s idea, fair play to him! I did tell you he is a very practical person!! He was happy to throw it up on the shelf as it was, but to cover up the text, I simply wrapped jute string around the body of it (stuck with double-sided tape). Ties in nicely with the rustic (eco-friendly) decor going on here.

2. As Stylish as They Come!

The fact that my new bottles cohesively tie in with our freshly revamped kitchen (I’m looking at you, lovely copper handles), may or may not have been an accident 😉 (It wasn’t). They do happen to look amazing on their own also, no matching kitchen required!

If copper is not your thing, go for another sustainable option like bamboo, stainless steel, or glass – They have a huge range.

3. Handy and Practical

At 600ml capacity, they are a great size to throw in the handbag or manbag. Not too big, not too small, y’know?!

The screwtop lid comes with a simple rubber seal so I have had no issues at all with the bottles leaking. They are perfectly airtight.

The metal lid on metal bottle means that it can sometimes take a split second longer to align and twist it closed, compared to the slightly speedier ease of another lid type (like plastic). It is a simple and quick knack though, so I certainly wouldn’t let that put you off.

Being made from copper, these bottles are nothing if not hard-wearing and are sure to last for many years. The Global WAKEcup care instructions state that the copper bottles are suitable for water, not hot drinks – which is perfectly fine by me. They do have a gorgeous range of other travel mugs and thermos flasks if that is what you need.

4. Health Benefits

While re-usable plastic bottles are a brilliant way to be more sustainable, there is the issue of micro-plastics leaching into the water. Consuming these tiny plastic particles is obviously not ideal for your health.

Drinking water from copper vessels was an ancient practice for water-purification and health reasons, and there are numerous scientific studies to support this. Copper is known to kill bacteria and viruses. And of course, micro-plastics are not an issue with a copper bottle!

In one recent, fascinating study, scientists contaminated water with harmful bacteria and stored it overnight in both copper pots and glass bottles. After the storage period, the harmful bacteria were still present (either remained the same or increased) in the water in the glass bottles. Whereas, incredibly, they were unable to recover any bacteria from the water stored in the copper pots.

The water in the copper pots had also become more naturally alkaline which is known to have multiple health benefits.

Copper is known to maintain healthy bones, blood vessels, and immune function, as well as contributing to iron absorption. While copper is an essential micro-nutrient for the body, if taken in huge quantities, it can cause some side effects.

With this in mind, I researched deeply into this topic and found several relevant scientific studies. The studies concluded that while water stored in copper pots do absorb some copper overnight, the copper content is far below the permissible limits for human consumption (WHO Guidelines) and is therefore very much safe (and beneficial) for drinking.

[I would suggest that it is always a good idea for you to do your own little bit of research for your own peace of mind – Don’t take my word for it :)]

5. Delivered in Sustainable Packaging

With the exception of a mini snippet of plastic tape to seal the white tissue paper wrapping (maybe they will move to paper tape in future!?), the packaging is entirely plastic-free. The bottles are wrapped in paper, sit within a protective cardboard tube, and are packaged in a paper envelope.

For me, this confirms the sustainable ethos of the Global WAKEcup brand. There are few things that make me more frustrated than when I make a supposedly sustainable purchase, and it arrives wrapped in plastic!

6. 10% of Profits to a Marine Conservation Charity

As if we needed one more reason! These guys donate 10% of profits from every single sale to the Marine Conservation Society. This helps support their vital work protecting marine habitats and campaigning and against plastic pollution. Woohoo!

Conclusion: Highly Recommended!

So there you have it, boys and girls. All in all, excellent job by Global WAKEcup! Love their podcast series too covering lots of interesting eco topics – have a listen on their website.