You be the judge: should my boyfriend stop filling our flat with empty water bottles?

The prosecution: Lara

My boyfriend John is an almost professional gym-goer, and plays football every weekend. He’s 6ft 4in and always exercising. He constantly gets stopped by other guys, who ask him for workout and muscle-building tips. Fitness is his life.

John works in accounting but the gym, counting his protein and maintaining his build, is his side-hustle. But despite this, he is opposed to buying a proper water bottle. He carries around a big plastic one and only replaces it every month or so. I find it disgusting and there are always lots of empty plastic bottles lying around our flat.

I think carrying around a plastic water bottle is less hygienic than having a stainless steel one that you can replace and wash. Stainless steel bottles are also way better for the environment and just look nice. It’s a bit childish to carry a plastic bottle in public all the time. Everyone at the gym has a nice, thermal insulated water bottle these days – except John.

I cringe when he picks up a beaten-up plastic one with the label peeling off and takes a swig of the lukewarm water. I nag him to replace it, but he will just say, “It’s fine”.

John will leave the old plastic water bottle in our hot car, or out in the sun, and I worry about how wise that is when it hasn’t been replaced for a few weeks. The longest he kept one plastic water bottle was three months. I threw it out myself eventually.

I have sent him links to stainless steel water bottles he could buy, but he says they are too expensive, or that I’m forcing him to make a change he doesn’t deem necessary. However, investing in a bottle is going to be cheaper compared with constantly buying water in the long-run. We’ve been together a year and I’m thinking of buying him one for his birthday, but I also slightly resent the idea of doing that, as I reckon it should be on John.

I don’t want to force him to do it, but I’m also sick of looking at plastic bottles in our flat. Surely readers will agree that it makes sense for John to invest in a proper bottle himself.

The defence: John

I may well end up investing in a stainless steel water bottle, but I don’t want to be forced into doing it. I’ve never had one and I think they are expensive for what they are. It’s true that I spend a lot of time in the gym, but I have always fared perfectly well reusing plastic water bottles. I was doing it before Lara and I met, and part of the reason I don’t care much about switching it up is because no one has ever pointed it out as annoying or gross before. It’s just a water bottle.

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Lara says I will save money in the long-run if I buy a stainless steel one, but they cost about £25 these days, and I only change up my plastic water bottle every month or so, and they are still only £1. By that maths it will take me more than two years for the bottle to be worth the cost.

However, Lara reminds me that I will also have invested in my health during that time as she worries about the quality of water sloshing around in an old plastic bottle, and I do get that. I could more regularly wash a water bottle made of steel or bamboo or whatever they are made of these days. But then again, that’s a lot of hassle.

I prefer buying a bottle of water from the shop, and buying another one when I want to replace it. Yes it’s not the most environmentally friendly stance but that’s why I only replace it every month or so. The one time I kept a bottle for three months was an exception – I think I forgot to change it because it was holding up so well. Lara says there are lots of water bottles in our flat and that’s true. I like to just grab one and fill it up before I work out, but when it’s time to throw them out, I always recycle them. I see guys in my local gym drinking from plastic water bottles, too, so I don’t think it’s quite as taboo as Lara makes out.

Lara is always telling me that it’s an “ick” when I drink from my plastic water bottle. I find that a little annoying. There’s lots of stuff men can’t do these days without apparently turning women off: drinking water from a bottle designed for that very purpose shouldn’t be one of them.

The jury of Guardian readers

Should John get a proper water bottle?

Sure, John should be more responsible about getting rid of old bottles, but most plastic water bottles are recyclable and he gets a good use out of each one. Lara seems more concerned about the aesthetics than making sure he drinks enough water for his level of activity.
Becca, 44

John is a fool to not accept such gentle criticism graciously. In the Pacific there is a plastic “island” the size of Texas made up of discarded plastic and waste. If John spent £25 on a permanent bottle, he’d make sure to not forget it in the car or gym.
Anthony, 68

Health experts and environmentalists warn against reusing plastic bottles. There are endless health ramifications that should ring alarm bells for John. Just get him a new bottle, Lara, and see it as a win.
Vanessa, 64

I converted to metal bottles a long time ago and have never looked back. Plastic bottles can become harmful with repeated use, so if you’re a health freak this is a no-brainer. Overall, I’ve saved money, minimised my contribution to pollution and am healthier for it. Put your pride aside, John.
Marcos, 28

Lara should own the real reason she hates plastic bottles, namely she thinks they look irresponsible/trashy. John clearly hasn’t been sick to date, but he could compromise by only having one bottle at a time in the flat.
Rosemarie, 61

Now you be the judge

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