Jet Green Plus

Elite’s Jet Green Plus bottles keep the muck off

Bidons or bottles, what do you call yours? The humble water bottle is a vital bit of kit used by, almost, all cyclists. Most of us will have a collection of them rattling around in a cupboard in various sizes and designs. Of those, I would guess that 99% are made from plastic, a substance that we are all encouraged to reduce our dependence on, due to its environmental impact. Some companies are beginning to offer bottles in alternative materials, like the Elite Jet Green Plus.

No more mud!

The Jet Green Plus bottle only comes in a 550ml size, unlike the standard Jet Green. These are available in three different sizes; 550, 750 or 950ml. So what’s the difference with the Plus? It’s got a cap and if you ride in mucky conditions, you’ll know how useful that is. Swigging from a bottle after riding along mucky country lanes or off-road can be a bit of a gamble. Often I’ll give them a squirt and a rub to try and clear them, but that’s not optimal.

Which is where the Jet Green Plus and its little cap comes in handy. The clear protective cap keeps all the crud off your spout and out of your mouth. The cap looks like it’s a clip on design, so I’m not sure why it only comes in one size. Perhaps it’s removable and can be used on other Elite bottles.

What is bio-plastic?

Elite manufacture their Jet Green Plus bottles from a bio-plastic derived from sugar cane. How do you make a bottle out of sugar-cane? A quick look around the internet reveals the secret. Sugar cane, which is grown for sugar, creates not only that deadly white treat, but other by-products. These include Bagasse, that’s used for making disposable cutlery, packaging and paper. You can also get ethanol from the cane, which is a fuel. Add a bit of chemistry and the ethanol becomes ethylene gas. Add more science and you have polyethylene, a solid which can then be made into bottles.

Now I’m no chemist or expert in environmental sciences, so I can’t say that this whole process is completely green. However using polyethylene which is made from a plant, would seem to be better that plastics derived from petroleum. Polyethylene can also be recycled, when you eventually retire your Jet Green Plus. It is also safe to use in conjunction with food and drink, although I’m not sure if it imparts a plastic taste.

Plastic alternatives

An alternative to plastic bottles exist in the form of various metal bottles, which Elite also make. However plastic bottles are just so easy to use. They’re light and easy to use, just squeeze them and the fluid flow. Making them from metal means you have to engineer some kind of system to make the liquid inside flow fast enough. While that’s not a problem on an easy ride, where you can take your time. However, add a bit of speed and you want to just swig and go, which is where the classic plastic bottle wins out.

We’ll get some of the Jet Green Plus bottles in and give them a try to see how they perform.