Hydration Stations

How Are Single-Use Plastic Products an Issue?

According to the Ocean Conservancy, six of the top 10 contributors to marine debris are single-use, or disposable, plastic products. They include plastic water bottles! Such single-use plastic items pose a threat to marine environments because they do not fully break down or decompose. When littered, or caught by the wind, these items get washed into stormwater drains that empty into our streams, rivers, bays and other waterways.

Apart from direct pollution, production of water bottles in America uses

1. 17 million barrels of oil annually (not including transportation)
2. Only 1 in 5 bottles are recycled
3. 3 billion lbs of water bottles end up in the landfill
4. The recommended eight glasses of water a day, at U.S. filtered tap rates equals about $.49 per year; that same amount of bottled water is about $1,400.

Recognizing this issue can help us change small habits in our everyday lives that will actively preserve our island.

Carry your reusable water bottle on campus to stay hydrated, save money and the environment!

1. Click HERE to read an article about how our stations started.