Bottled Water Delivery vs. Single-Use Bottles: What’s Really Better?

It’s hard to understate the importance of quality drinking water and staying hydrated. Given the high priority that many families and businesses place on keeping a steady supply of drinking water on hand, it’s crucial to weigh your options.

It’s easy to fall into a habit of purchasing single-serve bottles of water on an as-needed basis. Yet given the hassle of lugging heavy packages home and storing them – along with concerns about throwing away all that plastic – many are considering delivery of dispensable 5-gallon bottles as an alternative. 

How does bottled water delivery compare to single-use bottles? In terms of quality, convenience, environmental impact and cost, bottled water delivery services can provide several unique advantages over single-use bottles.

Water Quality

Do you know what’s in your single-use water bottles? Is it regular tap water or spring water? What kind of water filtration process does the company use?

Contrary to what you might assume, not all filtered drinking water is the same. It’s possible that without realizing it, you’ve purchased single-use bottles that are essentially just repackaged municipal water. 

If you purchase single-use bottles, you’ll need to carefully read the labels each time to determine how the water has been sourced and filtered. A regular supply from a reputable bottled water delivery service can help ensure you always get the high-quality drinking water you need.

The Convenience Factor

What does it take to hydrate a whole family or workplace with single-use bottles? 

First, you need to make a trip to the store, haul a potentially unwieldy package of 20 or more single-serving containers to your vehicle, transport it and lug the package to a refrigerator or other storage area. Then, you’ll have to repeat the process on a regular basis as you notice the supply dipping lower and lower.

One of the main benefits of bottled water delivery is the ease of getting regular delivery from your provider. With support that keeps your water coolers well-stocked and frequently replenished, there’s one less thing for you to think about.

In addition, with a hot/cold water dispenser, you can also get great-tasting hot water instantly, making it easier to prepare tea or other warm beverages using quality filtered water.

With a bottled water delivery service, while you’ll have to provide your own reusable cups or other containers, the tradeoff is well worth the reduction in waste.

Environmental Impact

Picture a 5-gallon bottle of water again. 

Now imagine how many individual single-use bottles you would need to contain all of that water.  Then, think of just the single-use containers themselves. Add in the soft plastic used for packaging. Multiply all of this potential waste across a year. 

The soft plastic packaging likely can’t be recycled, and even assuming that each single-use bottle is dropped in a recycling bin, there are limited guarantees about where it will end up. A surge in exports to countries where recycling programs are overwhelmed has led to a variety of problems for properly and efficiently repurposing recyclable materials, a recent report from the Guardian revealed.

Now you’re getting a sense of the environmental impact of using single-use bottles in your home or office. Bottled water delivery services that use sanitized 5-gallon jugs can provide a more environmentally friendly option for residential customers or a greener alternative for your breakroom supply.

Cost-Effective Options

When it comes to cost-conscious solutions for drinking water, quantity matters. 

In 2019 bottled water consumption reached nearly 14.4 billion gallons, according to a 2020 report from the Beverage Marketing Corporation. During that year, single-serving options became the largest section of the market. That could add up to a lot of money down the drain.

With bottled water delivery, there is typically a monthly fee based on the number of bottles needed (your provider can help you determine this based on how much water your family consumes). Of course, everybody’s needs will vary, and prices will be different based on the location or the dealer. Still, on a per-unit basis, 5-gallon bottled water tends to provide a cost incentive compared to single-use bottles. 

Additionally, bottled water subscription plans can provide a benefit for repeat purchasers. Finally, with bottled water delivery, people only consume what they want. That means no more wasted water at the end of a bottle when somebody only wants a quick drink – you get all the hydration without all the waste.

Learn more about how to get great-tasting water delivered straight to your home or office today.