Almost one in five consumers purchased a reusable water bottle in the past 12 months, and over a quarter of those were 16 to 24 years old; this demographic is more exposed to, and influenced by, online media messages relating to plastic waste. Sales of travel mugs were less marked, with 8.4% of shoppers buying one in the last 12 months, but consumers were driven by the same environmental reasons.

Over half of those who purchased a reusable water bottle did so to reduce the amount of plastic they use – with David Attenborough’s widely watched Blue Planet series having a major impact on attitudes to the effects the material is having on the environment. This reason was followed by a desire to save money, with over a third wanting to spend less on disposable bottles of water. Consumers also wanted to increase their water intake, as campaigns and health experts continue to stress the importance of staying hydrated.

Amazon and the grocers have benefited most from increased demand, with 14.9% of reusable water bottle shoppers purchasing from Amazon, and 13.6% and 8.8% of shoppers buying from Tesco and Asda respectively. 78.8% of those who shopped at Amazon were attracted by the competitive prices while convenience was the biggest driver at the grocers, with 67.3% of Tesco customers choosing the retailer because it is easy to get to the store.