A couple of days ago while I was walking on the street I noticed a girl reach into her bag and pull something out. It was a mason jar. Because I’m a people watcher and I like watching people, I was naturally very curious to see what she was up to. The jar was filled with water and she went on to drink from it. She used a mason jar as a water bottle. Don’t see a problem with that? I do.

Maybe I’m just too clumsy to handle carrying glass around with me all day or maybe I’m just not as susceptible to trends as others, I’m not sure yet, but I do know that I have continuously failed to comprehend the benefit of using a heavy glass jar as a way to carry water on the go. I mean really? A glass jar?

I have many questions about this trend but perhaps my biggest one is what ever happened to the appeal of the reusable plastic water bottle? Light, durable, and able to carry large amounts of the thing our body needs the most, why would people ever trade that for something that is burdening and breakable? Why are people so excited to carry something that will shatter if we drop it? Accidents happen. Don’t say they don’t. I just don’t understand how the mason jar water bottle trend is practical in any way. Maybe that’s because it’s not.

I’m sure that supporters of this trend would probably claim that it’s a great form of recycling and that it’s good for the environment. I’m not saying it’s not. Trust me, I’m all about reducing, reusing, and recycling.

But if this is the reasoning that people use I can’t help but pose the question of why people can’t just toss it in a recycling bin and use a container that was created for the sole purpose of being a water bottle instead? You can still help the environment by recycling the jar. You should not feel obligated to carry it around with you everywhere you go for the sake of Mother Nature.

Don’t get me wrong- I love the aesthetic of the mason jar and I’m not saying the mason jar trend in general is wrong. For some reason mason jars scream old fashioned, classy, and cute to us and because of that it seems like the mason jar trend has become inescapable.

Mason jars have also been made into chandeliers, vases, candles, and more. In fact, a couple of months ago I gave a friend a set of mason jar shot glasses just for fun.

I think it’s fair to say that there’s a time and place for everything. Mason jars make great cups for cocktails whether you’re at home or at a restaurant. They also make for great storage containers for anything small like jewelry or spices.

Mason jars, however, don’t belong in your backpack or in your car or in your hand as you’re walking down the street. So can we stop pretending that they make good water bottles? Nothing about a heavy glass jar screams reusable water bottle to me.