This Flat Water Bottle Fits Comfortably Inside Your Bag

About 13 million tons of plastic trash flow into our oceans every year, harming birds and marine life alike. Portable water bottles can help reduce the waste—but thanks to their round shape, they don’t fit well inside a tote that’s also carrying your notebooks or laptop.

That’s why two sustainably minded friends, Jesse Leeworthy and Jonathan Byrt, created the Memobottle. The reusable, BPA-free plastic drinking vessel is flat like a piece of paper. That way, it can be comfortably slipped into your bag, allowing you to stay hydrated on the go.

Leeworthy and Byrt grew up in Australia, where they spent a lot of time at the beach. Frustrated by the waste they saw wash up along the shoreline, the two decided to design a new product that made it easier to carry around a reusable bottle.

“Bottles hadn't changed shape in decades, yet tablets, laptops and computer bags were all flat in their design,” Leeworthy said in a release. "Round bottles just didn't fit with our modern lives. So, we decided to flip the equation.”

In 2014, Leeworthy and Byrt launched a Kickstarter to fund the Memobottle’s production. More than 6000 backers helped them raise $201,540; today, the Memobottle is carried by over 100 retailers worldwide. Most recently, Memobottle gained even more attention when it was included in the gift bags handed out at the 2016 Academy Awards.

Two versions of the Memobottle are currently sold online. They correspond to international paper sizes: the notebook-sized A5, which holds 750 milliliters; and the smaller A6, which can fit in a pocket or handbag and holds 375 milliliters. The larger model, the A5, costs $25.

For more information, check out Memobottle’s website.