These Sustainable Water Brands Make It Easier Than Ever to Ditch Plastic Bottles

If you happen to be caught out and about without your trusty S'well, your love of of mother nature may make you think twice about reaching for a plastic water bottle. Sure, grab-and-go H2O is undeniably convenient. But when you think about the 8 million tons of plastic that end up in the ocean every year, your lofty hydration goals start to seem a little less important, right?

Well, you no longer have to choose between getting those 64-ish ounces a day and saving the planet—a slew of sustainable brands is making on-the-go water consumption a lot healthier for the environment.

Companies like Boxed Water, Just Water, and Flow have created paper-based alternatives to conventional plastic water packaging, which allow you to get an eco-friendly sip in when you don't have your reusable bottle at hand. Their sustainable practices include replanting the forests from which their paper is sourced and using small amounts of plant-based plastics, rather than plastics derived from non-renewable petroleum. (These efforts aren't going unnoticed—in 2016, Just Water co-founder Jaden Smith won the Male Futures Award from the Environmental Media Association for his work to better the environment.)

A slew of sustainable brands is making on-the-go hydration a lot healthier for the environment.

Other brands, like Proud Source Water, are sidestepping the paper-versus-plastic question altogether by opting for aluminum packaging. Why? According to the company, the material's widely accepted at recycling centers, and it's got a particularly low-waste footprint.

Even refillable bottle brands are stepping up their games, finding new ways to pay it forward with non-profit initiatives. Take, for example, Love Bottle, a manufacturer of customizable swing-top glass vessels. As a certified B Corporation, the company donates a percentage of its revenue to Global Water, a non-profit that supports access to potable water in regions where it's lacking. Klean Kanteen, another certified B Corp, creates stainless-steel bottles and partners with a host of non-profits including Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and 5Gyres.

So next time you find yourself parched after a sweaty HIIT class, consider one of these alternatives—because hydration's finally becoming just as nourishing for the earth as it is for you.

Scroll down to shop 6 sustainable water brands that are on a mission to make the world healthier.

What about hydrating at home? These are the water filters that should be on your radar. (And here's how to tell if your filter is actually working.)