When hunter-gatherers in southern Africa began using hollow ostrich eggs to carry water—the first known containers for drinking water.
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Numbers in the News: Water Bottles
Reusable water bottles have become a back-to-school staple. Check out some facts and figures about these eco-friendly containers.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
ABOUT 60,000 YEARS AGO
85%
The percentage of U.S. adults who own and use a reusable water bottle
3
GILBERT FLORES/BILLBOARD VIA GETTY IMAGES/JENNIE PERFORMS AT THE 2025 COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL
The maximum number of Stanley water bottles customers were allowed to buy when the company released a limited-edition cup with K-pop idol Jennie.
0.5 TO 1 LITER
The most popular size of reusable water bottle.
KEITH HOMAN/ALAMY PHOTO (WATER BOTTLE), SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (SOAP)
ONCE PER DAY
How often you should wash your reusable water bottle, according to health professionals. Regular cleaning removes germs and mold.
THINK ABOUT IT: Doctors recommend that teens drink 7 to 11 cups of water per day. If one cup contains 0.24 liters, how many 1-liter bottles of water would you have to drink to reach 11 cups?
SOURCES: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (2010), STATISTA, SNS INSIDER, STANLEY 1913
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