As festival and camping season fast approaches, it’s time to start thinking about your essentials for the great outdoors. With many festivals and camping sites adopting a plastic free policy, it’s important to get your key utensils right and make sure that they have a use beyond a week of partying and relaxing in a field. Aside from the obvious – tent, wellies and waterproofs, there are three key items that need to top your list to get through a week of outdoor living. A leak-proof drinks bottle to keep you refreshed and hydrated (let’s face it, we’ve all been through at least one soggy bag contents episode), a travel mug for that the morning after the night before hot coffee, and your very own set of reusable cutlery for eating on the go ,or in a field or wherever you might be. The perils of flimsy disposable plastic forks snapping before they have even allowed us to sample what’s on the plate are real, and that’s before even considering their waste factor.
With 100 billion coffee cups ending up in landfill, and plastic bottles taking up to 1000 years to decompose, it’s predicted that at the current rate of disposable living, we could end up with more plastic in the ocean than fish. These stark facts have led to an explosion in the reusable bottle and cup market, making it an increasingly crowded one. These days you can pick up reusables virtually anywhere – a seemingly good buy that helps reduce the amount of disposables we consume, or so it might seem. The ethics behind the products however, might not quite hit the mark.
That’s where Global WakeCup come in. Their mission is to not just create great products, but to make an impact on the planet. They have managed to combine aesthetics, innovation, convenience and tech into everything they do. There can be no accusations of style over substance here. They boast both bags of style and substance. Their ethical stance is not to be scoffed at either, as it runs through the very thread and being of the company. Describing themselves as “more than just stylish, sustainably sourced coffee cups and water bottles”, they are working to create a movement towards a world where everyone can choose to reuse and say no to single use, and with 10% of profits going to the Marine Conservation Society, you really can look good and do good at the same time. This is why they make their products from natural and recyclable material like bamboo, stainless steel, copper and glass. All materials are sourced from suppliers who maintain high ethical standards for all workers in the supply chain. And it doesn’t stop there. From daily tips on their Instagram on how to live a sustainable life, to plastic free challenges, and a podcast packed with a wealth of information, Global WakeCup really are a brand on a mission because they know that small changes can snowball into a big difference.
This all sounds incredible, but ultimately do the products stack up? Can they handle the vigour of muddy fields on long hot (or cold and rainy) days and the demands that accompany these? One hundred percent! We are not talking your bog standard, run of the mill bottles and cups here. These are bottles and cups with built in tech to ensure a different kind of reusable experience.
Let’s take the self cleaning UV bottle. Yes, self cleaning. Now a staple, ‘won’t leave home without it’ item for me. When out and about, or at a festival, or camping, cleaning your bottle is not an easy task. Bottles get refilled time and time again throughout the day without a great deal of thought to the build up of bacteria and germs on the inside. With the UV self cleaning bottle, there’s UV light built into the inside of the lid where you simply press the button, leave it for three minutes and it disinfects the water which may have had it’s cleanliness compromised. There’s no residue left behind, and it kills germs.
This might sound a bit sci-fi, but UV light has been used for years as a safe and effective method for cleaning hospital rooms and wards, and now it can do the same with your water bottle. The bottle itself feels sturdy and robust, has the essential leak proof lid, and a high quality black finish that won’t chip. Complete with a carry strap, it really is a stand out item for any occasion or location.
But the innovation doesn’t stop there. One of the worst things when you’re out in the glorious sunshine, soaking up the rays safely, has to be when you reach for your water bottle to take a refreshing sip and find that you may as well add a tea bag to make a steaming cuppa. Having to drink hot water when all you want to do is quench your thirst and cool down is not the one. With Global Wakeup’s temperature check bottle, you can actually see the temperature of the liquid inside to ensure that your drink is just how you like it. It’s also one of the most striking drinks bottles you are likely to find anywhere as it has a beautiful natural bamboo exterior. But don’t let that fool you into thinking that it can’t do its job properly. It can keep water cold for up to 10 hours, maintain the heat of hot drinks for two hours and even has a built in diffuser for loose leaf tea or fruit. It’s a win, win all round.
Finally, to complete the must haves is the zero waste cutlery set. There’s no bad plastic fork experiences happening here. The zero waste cutlery set is a simply, but sleekly presented, lightweight bamboo knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks, and stainless steel straw, complete with a wire straw cleaner. It’s the perfect set which comes in a cotton roll up pouch which easy to carry in your bag or even a pocket and ensures you’re well prepared for dining on the go. It’s a no brainer.
Global WakeCup really are a force to be reckoned with. As they produce and curate an ever increasing range of products for the style conscious and techy types out there (check out their stunning Wakebag backpack – on my wishlist for sure!), they are definitely well on their way to stamping out plastic pollution for good.
Find Global Wakecup on www.globalwakecup.com and stocked in Selfridges and other selected online retailers. Check out their socials for sustainable living tips @globalwakecup
