Velocio and Bivo made their intent in releasing this stainless steel bottle as clear-cut as they can. By donating 100% of the proceeds from sales to environmental nonprofit 1% for the Planet, the companies issued a statement for Mother Earth.
“There’s no silver bullet to the climate crisis,” said Velocio cofounder Brad Sheehan in a press release. “Marginal gains we’ve made include our biodegradable packaging, recycled and biodegradable sourcing for our clothing, socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing — the list goes on. Working with Bivo to reduce plastic waste and support 1% for the Planet is one more step in the right direction.”
Velocio has beat the drum that cycling needs to get more sustainable, and do it quickly, since its founding. It’s no secret that most carbon fiber ends up in the landfill (at best) and that plastic water bottles fill a decisive majority of cages.
That’s where Bivo came in. Its founders, Carina Hamel and Robby Ringer, had ditched plastic drinkware from “every part of their lives except cycling,” the benefit-oriented bottle’s press release said. Their stated reason to make an exception for biking? Because at the time, “no viable alternatives existed.”
Yes, you could always have plugged a stainless or even glass bottle into your cage during any ride — but Hamel and Ringer decided to start a company about it.
The bottle’s intensive design and specs reflect that intentionality. A former NASA engineer rendered input for the design, Bivo and Velocio said, and as a result, it’s got a “unique flow system” that allows it to empty faster. And thanks to its stainless construction, it’s mold-resistant and won’t hold flavors and funk over time as strongly as plastic tends to.
Like all stainless steel objects, it’s recyclable. The 21 oz. bottle comes with two “low-profile” screws designed to protect the finish — which has a laser-etched design instead of a printed one to save on materials and bypass plastic.
That said, the lid is plastic: BPA-free polypropylene. The bottle also uses food-grade silicone components.
The two 1% for the Planet partners launched the bottle on both their websites this February at $34 MSRP.