Usage & attitude study
Are You Still Using Repurposed Plastic Bottles?
In a 3,000-consumer Hercules Insights study of urban Indian hydration habits, 74.1% call daily reuse of a soft-drink PET bottle safe, so fear messaging will not push upgrades. Looks and lifestyle fit is the top upgrade trigger at 23.0%, and 74.5% put material safety in their top three purchase criteria.
Explore the findingsRate daily reuse of soft-drink bottles as safe
Rank it in their top three purchase criteria
Aesthetic and workplace lifestyle appeal
Based on 3,000 completed responses. Usage & attitude study.
What we set out to answer, and what we found
We mapped the shift from repurposed plastic to premium hydration vessels
What are people drinking from today?
We asked which bottle category they use most frequently, from a repurposed soft-drink bottle to a vacuum-insulated flask.
What matters when buying a bottle?
We asked respondents to rank their top three purchase criteria, from health safety to affordability.
What would actually trigger an upgrade?
We asked the primary trigger that would make them switch to a premium reusable steel or insulated flask.
Do people see repurposed PET as safe, and where do they buy?
We measured how safe consumers feel drinking daily from a repurposed soft-drink bottle, and which retail channels they buy bottles from.
Most people trust PET. 74.1% of consumers feel safe drinking daily from a repurposed soft-drink bottle (40.9% rate it 4 and 33.2% rate it 5 out of 5), and only 7.0% see it as unsafe. A campaign built only on health scares will struggle.
Design beats function as the upgrade trigger. Aesthetic and lifestyle fit drives 23.0% of upgrade triggers, ahead of plastic health concerns (16.6%) and price promotions (15.4%). People carry these bottles to work and the gym, so they treat them as accessories.
Material safety gets a brand onto the shortlist. 74.5% place health safety (BPA-free plastic, high-grade steel or glass) in their top three purchase criteria. It does not trigger the upgrade, but a bottle without it will not be considered.
Branded reusable plastic users are the easiest to move. Branded reusable plastic accounts for 26.4% of primary bottle usage, while metal and insulated formats hold a combined 36.0%. Entry-level stainless steel is the most accessible way to add volume.
Buyers split between shops and apps. Supermarkets lead purchase penetration at 39.1%, with e-commerce marketplaces close behind at 38.6% and quick commerce already at 32.5%.
Brand recall is thin. Milton leads awareness at 56.5%, yet 48.6% of respondents know only one brand and the average is 2.38 brands. That leaves room for challengers.
Metal and Insulated
Combined active market share
Top Purchase Channel
Supermarkets, vs 38.6% for e-commerce marketplaces
Branded reusable plastic leads, metal formats hold 36.0%
Bottle used most frequently, by category
Base: 3,000 respondents, single choice
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Premium or branded reusable plastic | 26.4% |
| Stainless steel or copper (non-insulated) | 19.8% |
| Standard reusable plastic (unbranded) | 17.4% |
| Vacuum-insulated steel flask | 16.2% |
| Repurposed beverage bottle | 14.3% |
| Glass or clay bottle | 3.5% |
| Do not use a personal bottle regularly | 2.4% |
01. Premium or branded reusable plastic is the most used bottle at 26.4%. Non-insulated stainless steel or copper follows at 19.8%, then unbranded plastic at 17.4%.
02. Vacuum-insulated flasks hold 16.2%, and repurposed beverage bottles still account for 14.3%. Metal and insulated formats together make up 36.0%.
03. Premium branded plastic is the main bottle for 27.7% of 25-35 year olds. It is strongest among 55+ consumers at 36.6%, against 24.9% for 36-45 year olds, an 11.7-point gap.
04. Among 18-24 year olds, 13.5% rely on repurposed beverage bottles and 17.8% on unbranded plastic. That is nearly a third of young adults in non-durable formats.
Health safety and durability dominate purchase criteria
Ranked in top three purchase criteria
Base: 3,000 respondents
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Health safety (BPA-free, steel or glass) | 74.5% |
| Aesthetic design and colours | 60.9% |
| Durability (does not crack, leak or dent) | 56% |
| Lightweight and easy to carry | 42.8% |
| Temperature retention | 35.1% |
| Ease of cleaning | 24.6% |
| Affordability or low price | 6.2% |
Ranked first purchase criterion
Base: 3,000 respondents
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Health safety | 26.8% |
| Durability | 22.9% |
| Temperature retention | 19.3% |
| Aesthetic design and colours | 15.2% |
| Lightweight and easy to carry | 9.6% |
| Ease of cleaning | 4.7% |
| Affordability or low price | 1.6% |
01. Health safety comes first in consideration. 74.5% (2,235 of 3,000 respondents) put it in their top three and 26.8% ranked it first.
02. Durability is next, with 56.0% top-three placement, 22.9% first choice and an average rank of 1.81. Buyers look for drop and leak resistance early in the decision.
03. Only 6.2% put affordability in their top three and 1.6% ranked it first, so price is not the main lever for moving users to premium bottles.
Aesthetic appeal is the leading upgrade catalyst at 23.0%
Primary trigger to switch to a premium steel or insulated flask
Base: 3,000 respondents, single choice
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Wanting a premium, stylish look for work or gym | 23% |
| Concerns over health risks of plastic | 16.6% |
| A good online discount or sale | 15.4% |
| Already use premium or insulated flasks | 15.1% |
| Durability (tired of plastic cracking) | 14.9% |
| Keeping water ice-cold or piping hot | 14.9% |
| Other | 0.1% |
01. Aesthetic and lifestyle fit tops the upgrade drivers at 23.0%. Plastic health concerns (16.6%) and price promotions (15.4%) come after it.
02. The functional benefits trail design. Temperature retention and durability tie at 14.9% each, more than 8 points behind the aesthetic driver.
03. By current format, the most common pairing is branded plastic users who want a stylish workplace or gym look (211 responses), then non-insulated steel users with the same trigger (143). Treat this pattern as directional only.
74.1% see repurposed PET bottles as safe for daily use
Perceived safety of drinking daily from a repurposed PET bottle
Base: 3,000 respondents; rating from 1 (least safe) to 5 (most safe)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2.17% |
| 2 | 4.77% |
| 3 | 19% |
| 4 | 40.9% |
| 5 | 33.2% |
01. Nearly three in four respondents (74.1%) rate reusing soft-drink bottles as safe. 40.9% gave it 4 out of 5 and 33.2% gave the maximum 5. Only 7.0% see it as unsafe.
02. Among repurposed-bottle users, 189 rate daily use 5 out of 5 and 150 rate it 4. The belief carries over to branded plastic users (596 rating 4 or 5) and stainless steel users (409 rating 4 or 5).
03. Repurposed-bottle users give the highest mean safety score, 4.15 out of 5. Glass or clay users are close at 4.14, and non-insulated steel or copper users are well below at 3.86.
Milton leads awareness, but half know only one brand
Water bottle brands respondents are aware of
Base: 3,000 respondents, multi-select (average 2.38 brands)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Milton | 56.5% |
| Cello | 44.2% |
| Borosil | 36.1% |
| Tupperware | 28.1% |
| Pexpo | 25.2% |
| Decathlon (Quechua) | 23.5% |
| Signoraware | 22.6% |
| None of these | 1.4% |
01. Milton leads at 56.5% awareness, 12.3 points ahead of Cello at 44.2%. Borosil is at 36.1% and Tupperware at 28.1%.
02. 48.6% of respondents picked only one brand, and people know just 2.38 brands on average.
03. Borosil reaches 41.9% awareness among 36-45 year olds against 32.8% among 18-24 year olds, and Signoraware 30.2% against 19.8%. Age differences are directional only.
Supermarkets (39.1%) and marketplaces (38.6%) run neck and neck
Where respondents usually buy water bottles
Base: 3,000 respondents, multi-select (average 1.96 channels)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Supermarkets or hypermarkets | 39.1% |
| E-commerce marketplaces | 38.6% |
| Brand-specific outlets or websites | 33.9% |
| Quick commerce apps | 32.5% |
| Local homeware or utensil stores | 29.8% |
| Local general stores or kirana shops | 22.1% |
How often respondents replace their primary water bottle
Base: 3,000 respondents
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Every 1 to 3 months | 16.8% |
| Every 6 months | 39.2% |
| About once a year | 29.9% |
| Every 2 to 3 years | 9.4% |
| Only when it breaks, leaks or is lost | 4.8% |
01. Supermarkets lead purchase penetration at 39.1%, with e-commerce marketplaces right behind at 38.6%. Quick commerce apps already reach 32.5%.
02. Supermarkets are strongest with 25-35 year olds (40.9% against 29.3% for 55+), an 11.6-point gap.
03. 40.4% of kirana buyers also buy from neighbourhood utensil stores, the strongest offline channel pairing (lift 1.36).
04. 39.2% replace their bottle every 6 months and 29.9% about once a year. Six-monthly replacers are the largest group in both supermarkets (476) and online marketplaces (450).
What we would recommend
Practical priorities drawn from this study for further validation.
Build upgrade messaging around design and status.
With 23.0% upgrading for looks, top-of-funnel creative should show sleek finishes, well-chosen colour palettes and modern shapes instead of leaning only on function.
Show material certifications on pack and product pages.
74.5% place material safety in their top three criteria, so packaging and product pages should carry visible food-grade and BPA-free badges. That clears the safety hurdle without crowding out the lifestyle message.
Offer branded plastic users a step-up stainless steel SKU.
To reach the 26.4% who use branded reusable plastic, launch single-wall stainless steel lines priced close to mid-tier plastic.
Run modern trade and marketplaces together.
Demand is split between supermarkets (39.1%) and e-commerce platforms (38.6%). Pair end-cap visibility in hypermarkets with sponsored placement on the leading marketplaces.
