Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Plastic water bottles are supposed to be bad for us, particularly if we’re perpetually refilling them.  Until now, the only alternative I’d found were aluminium bottles with a plastic lining, which didn’t seem much of a solution.

Then Santos Trading, a truly fabulous organic foods store in Byron Bay, brought in  these Cheeki water bottles.  Made by an Australian company, they come in a variety of sizes, from small ones for the littlies, to a one litre version, perfect for camping or travelling.  I bought four of the 500ml  bottles, in  different colours, so that every member of the family could have their own (mine is pink, in case you’re wondering).

These bottles are great; the water doesn’t taste of plastic, they’re sturdy enough to survive school bags and they fit perfectly in the cupholders of the car.  My only gripe is that the coloured lacquer tends to scratch off a bit, but that’s not a huge problem unless you’re rolling  it on the asphalt of the school playground.  My pink one, for instance, is still in pristine condition after several weeks of continuous use.  But if you’re buying for small people, you might want to consider the plain stainless steel version.

They’re not cheap – the 500ml bottles are $16.95 each, excluding shipping – but they are economical, in theory.  I say “in theory” because obviously they can be refilled an endless number of times, which makes them a much cheaper option that bottled water.  In practice, of course, that’s rarely the case.  Small Man had his green bottle for less than a fortnight before he left it on the cricket pitch during sport.  At $16.95, Pete had to drive back and scour the park until he found it!

PS. If you’re in Sydney, you’ll also find these at Dr Earth in Newtown, Blooms Pharmacy in Leichhardt Market Town or Mr Vitamins in Chatswood.  I’m pretty sure there are lots of other stockists as well.