Hugh Carthy and his fellow EF Education-EasyPost riders at the Giro d'Italia will use 100% compostable water bottles to reduce the environmental impact of professional cycling.

The move is the first for the pro peloton after a year in which rules penalizing littering in the peloton drew strong criticism from riders and threatened to cast a shadow over the 2021 Giro.

The bottles, provided by the team's bike manufacturer, Cannondale, are made from plant-based materials and are designed to decompose in just three months under the right conditions.

According to Cannondale, 630,000 bottles are used each year in the propeloton, many of which are dumped on the side of the road and collected by fans as souvenirs or disposed of in landfills.

Both the EF-EasyPost men's and women's teams will begin using the bottles immediately, starting with the Giro d'Italia, which opens Friday in Budapest.

British rider Kersey, who finished eighth in last year's Giro, is the main GC contender for EF Education-EasyPost, which is also developing a special kit for the race.

Organizers of last year's UCI Road World Championships released a detailed sustainability report in November. Similar concerns are part of the reason the UCI introduced strict rules last April to penalize riders who dump their bidons outside of designated zones, but safety concerns are also a major factor.

The rule was later relaxed after strong opposition from riders such as Thomas de Ghent to the expulsion of Michael Schaal and Letizia Borgesi from the Tour of Flanders at last year's Giro d'Italia, but riders are still required to dump bottles in specific trash collection zones However, players are still required to dispose of bottles in specific garbage collection zones.

Says Cannondale. "The bite valve, cap, and bottle itself are fully compostable, free of plasticizers, heavy metals, and BPA (an industrial chemical formally known as Bisphenol A), making them both people-friendly and environmentally friendly. The bottles decompose as green waste in three months if exposed to microorganisms, heat, and humidity"

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The company states that the bottles will decompose within three months in an industrial composting system, but would take nearly a year in a residential composting system.

The bottle itself is a simple white and green design that matches the white Cannondale Super Six EVO bikes used by EF-EasyPost in the Giro.

There are currently no plans to sell this bottle to the public, but if it ever does, we will certainly consider it for our guide to the best water bottles for cycling.