Is There a Biodegradable Water Bottle? One Startup Says Yes

The Cove lab in Chatsworth, California. By Cove's estimates, its bottles will disintegrate in water and soil in under five years.

With backers including James Murdoch and Diplo, Cove says its sustainable water bottle will retail at $2.99 a pop.

Mark Bergen

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The Cove water bottle is a thin, sturdy cylinder, eggshell-white with a matching lid. It feels familiar. "If someone gave that to you," offered Alex Totterman, Cove's founder and chief executive, "you probably would have no idea that that wasn't a plastic bottle."

If someone does give you this bottle, it would be a remarkable achievement. Scientists and businesses have spent many years and much money trying to replace everyday packaging with natural materials that don't pollute the Earth — so far, that's given us little beyond compostable straws. But the challenge hasn't deterred Cove from its own five-year journey to producing the first "fully biodegradable" bottle of water. In the coming months, Totterman says Cove's creation will finally hit stores at $2.99 a pop.