Introducing the World’s First Biodegradable Water Bottle

Introducing the World’s First Biodegradable Water Bottle

Get an Invite

Cove Water is currently invitation-only. To join the waitlist, enter your email address and zip code. We send new codes out daily, so keep an eye out. No spam—just an invite to buy yours.

Designed to Disappear

Cove water bottles are made of PHA, a plastic alternative made from living organisms that can be found in almost all life on earth: plants, soil, and even our own bodies.

Looks like plastic. Feels like plastic. Very much not plastic.

Plastic-Free. Biodegradable. Non-Toxic. Renewable. Compostable. Recyclable.

Other options have their downsides.
With Cove, there's no environmental compromise
  • Plastic
  • Aluminum Cans
  • Glass Bottles
  • Paper Carton
*Cove bottles are made of PHA, a natural material that has existed for many millions of years. PHA is produced by microorganisms as a way to store energy. Cove’s PHA is made through fermentation in a process similar to that used for the production of beer or yogurt. Plastic Free*
*PHA is consumed by a wide variety of microorganisms in nature, including in soils and oceans around the world. The speed of biodegradation in the natural environment is variable and depends on a variety of factors such as the product’s form factor as well as temperature, humidity, and microbial load. We estimate that in most reasonable natural environments, full biodegradation of Cove bottles and caps will occur in less than 5 years. We are conducting testing to provide more specific data. Biodegradable*
*PHA is made by feeding sources of renewable carbon to microorganisms, including sugars, vegetable oils, wastewater, agricultural waste, and greenhouse gasses like methane or carbon dioxide. In the future, it will even be possible to feed old & used PHA to microorganisms to synthesize new PHA. Renewable*
*There are zero toxic compounds nor microplastics contained within PHA, nor do they result from the molecular breakdown of PHA. In fact, PHA is biocompatible and bioresorbable, and the human body naturally produces PHA as part of a healthy microbiome. For these reasons, the historical application for PHA has primarily been in the biomedical industry where it has been converted into implants for use inside the human body. Non-Toxic*
*Both home and industrial composting present optimized environments in which Cove’s biodegradation will accelerate. In the unlikely event that a Cove bottle will fail to fully biodegrade by the end of a composting process, un-degraded pieces do not constitute contamination as they will continue to be consumed by microorganisms in soil. Compostable*
*Cove bottles are recyclable in principle, but significant scale is necessary for recycling to be economical in practice. As we grow our operations, we will work with local governments and recyclers to build a fully functional PHA recycling stream. Cove bottles do not pose a serious contamination risk to PET recycling streams. Recyclable*
Plastic Free
Biodegradable
Renewable
Non-Toxic
Compostable
*Plastic recycling is extremely complex, with an average US domestic recycling rate for mixed plastic waste around 2.2%, according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Recycling rates are higher for certain specific material and product subcategories, such as 29.1% for PET bottles and jars and 29.3% for HDPE natural bottles according to US EPA (2018). The complexities of plastic recycling include degradation and contamination over time, leading to downcycling and incineration or landfilling. On the unreasonably generous assumption that EPA figures accurately depict bottle-to-bottle recycling, those figures still suggest that 9 in 10 plastic bottles will be recycled once or never before ending up incinerated, in landfills, or in the environment. Recyclable*
Plastic Free
Biodegradable
Renewable
Non-Toxic
Compostable
Unlike plastic, aluminum is infinitely recyclable. According to the US EPA, 50.4% of aluminum cans were recycled in 2018. Recyclable*
*Glass is made from sand (silicates) and therefore does not contain plastic in and of itself. However, water bottles made from glass are almost always sealed with plastic-lined caps. Plastic Free*
Biodegradable
*Glass is made from sand, which is generally considered inexhaustible. However, it is not replenished on a human timescale. Glass’s renewability is further complicated by the fact that it is melted and manufactured using natural gas. There is currently no realistic way to make glass using renewable energy. Renewable*
*Glass is an inert inorganic material. However, glass can be a source of environmental harm due to the existence and persistence of sharp shards. Non-Toxic*
Compostable
*Unlike plastic, glass is infinitely recyclable. According to the US EPA, 31.3% of glass containers were recycled in 2018. Recyclable*
Plastic Free
Biodegradable
*While the primary component of beverage cartons is paper – which is renewable – these cartons are also lined and sealed with several layers of plastic and aluminum – which are not renewable. Renewable*
Non-Toxic
Compostable
*Paper carton recycling is complicated by the multiple layers of paper, plastic, and aluminum. According to the US EPA, 20.8% of paper containers and packaging were recycled in 2018. Recyclable*
Other options have their downsides.
With Cove, there's no environmental compromise
  • Cove
  • Plastic
  • Aluminum Cans
  • Glass Bottles
  • Paper Carton
Plastic Free*
Biodegradable*
Renewable*
Non-Toxic*
Compostable*
Recyclable*
Plastic Free
Biodegradable
Renewable
Non-Toxic
Compostable
Recyclable*
Plastic Free
Biodegradable
Renewable
Non-Toxic
Compostable
Recyclable*
Plastic Free*
Biodegradable
Renewable*
Non-Toxic*
Compostable
Recyclable*
Plastic Free
Biodegradable
Renewable*
Non-Toxic
Compostable
Recyclable*

A water bottle you don’t have to feel guilty about.

Get an Invite

Cove Water is currently invitation-only. To join the waitlist, enter your email address and zip code. We send new codes out daily, so keep an eye out. No spam—just an invite to buy yours.

End Plastic. Start the Future.

Find all FAQs here.