'Pointless' pet product found on store shelves sparks outrage among customers: 'How hard is it ...'

Think single-use water bottles are wasteful? Brace yourself — they even exist for dogs.

A Reddit user shared a short video of the product, showing water — yes, just water — packaged in disposable plastic bowls. The bowl, for sale at Target, features a label that reads: "[Ready to drink] bowled water for pets. Simply peel off the lid and serve your pet clean water anytime, anywhere." 

You may be wondering — but why? What for? And you're not alone. Reddit users were collectively dumbfounded by the need for this product. 

The bowl is advertised as convenient for "walks, dog parks, traveling, and outdoors," but users found it pointless, as you can "just bring a collapsible dog bowl and fill it up with your own water out of [a] reusable water bottle."

Worse, the 12-ounce containers are priced at $2.39 apiece in the video, putting them more in the Evian and Fiji tier of cost per ounce. 

There is some good news, though. Waggin Water, the company behind the controversial water bowl, does not currently feature this exact product on their site or online store, and they have an announcement about how they have discontinued the product to go "99% plastic-free," which is a commendable step in the right direction. 

Instead, you can now find collapsible silicone travel bowls and bottles, along with water packaged in paper-based Tetra Pak cartons, which generally are made up of about 25% plastic. 

However, the plastic-packaged water is still available for purchase on Target's website, perhaps only until the remaining stock is sold. The reviews share a similar sentiment to the Reddit comments, with 49% of reviewers giving just one star. One reviewer expressed that the item felt "pointless!" 

"Waste of plastic, extremely bad for the environment," they said. "How hard is it to carry a reusable dog bowl and your own water." 

It's hard to deny that logic. Plastic bottles and products like these are huge contributors to landfills and ocean waste.

For a more sustainable, eco-friendly bottle alternative for pets, reusable, portable water dishes, like Frisco's stainless steel travel bowl, Kong H2O's stainless steel dog water bottle, or one of the sustainable options on the Waggin Water site, support small businesses' products and just make more sense. 

Not only do these options give better bang for your buck across just a few uses versus single-use plastic containers, you're also helping to cut down on harmful, long-lasting plastics polluting our planet.

Check the TCD Guide for further advice on changing the way you buy and use plastic.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.

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