Beverage bottles are a valuable resource that can be recycled into new bottles or other plastic items. Recycling strengthens our economy, and many businesses need recycled material. We can considerably diminish our waste, keep our surroundings litter-free and protect our resources by recycling plastic bottles. Let's build a Clean Water Future.
Plastic bottles and caps are among the the top 5 most frequently found items at coastal cleanups. In 2020, volunteers picked up 1,885,833 beverage bottles during coastal cleanups worldwide. (Ocean Conservancy, 2021)
From 2016 to 2020, the use of bottled water worldwide has increased at around a 6.5% compounded annual growth rate. In 2019 in the U.S. alone, Americans consumed almost 14 billion gallons of bottled water. (Fact.MR, 2021)
Growth trend of the bottled water market by Fact.MR
Plastics never completely degrade, but actually divide into tiny pieces called microplastics. Scientists are still investigating the impact of microplastics on our ocean and marine life. (NOAA, 2020)
Degraded plastics recovered from Dauphin Island. Picture by Caitlin Wessel
Carrying a reusable water bottle can save a lot of plastic over the entire year. Fill it up at the tap, with filtered water from water fountains, or get purified water from refilling stations at Publix and Walmart.
Put all plastic beverage bottles in the trash or recycle bin. Find out where your closest recycling center is, and commit to recycle every water bottle you use.
Start collecting empty water bottles and other recycling at home to take to the curb or to the recycling center.
Even if there's not a recycling bin near you when you finish your drink, take the bottle home with you and recycle it there
Photo by Greg Shine photo is public domain.
Ask your school to set up a recycling program and have PET bottle recycle bin in each classroom.
You probably thought you were making the more responsible choice by drinking bottled water with your meal instead of heading for the soda machine, but in reality, this decision has more of a negative impact than you think.
If you have a collection of used plastic bottles, make good use of them! There are some cool ideas out there for using bottles. Ask your teacher to do an art project with plastic bottles. Consider putting on a recycling fashion show.
In a rainy place like the Gulf coast, litter and plastic debris is easily washed into storm drains and from there into our streams, bay and Gulf. Making sure our trash gets into trash cans to be processed by city services, helps keep our water clean.
Foam cup litter can easily drift into storm drains and then into streams becoming ugly debris that is dangerous for marine creatures.
Carrying a reusable lunchbox not only saves money, but can help keep bags and wrapping paper from polluting our streams and bay.
When water rushes off hardened surfaces, erosion of sediments degrade water conditions and smother and disrupt seagrass growth and the habitat for benthic organisms they provide.
Compounds like oil, grease, and heavy metals take a long time to break down and threaten the health of both aquatic and human life.
Litter is not only unsightly, but it also causes a variety of problems to the ecosystem as it enters our waters where it is often is mistaken for food by fish and invertebrates.
Too much fertilizer, pet waste, and other nutrients in our water often lead to serious problems like lowering dissolved oxygen levels, preventing seagrass growth, and killing fish.
Disease-causing microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and other single-celled organisms, are referred to as pathogens, some, like Salmonella, cause human health problems.
While pesticides are designed to be toxic to certain organisms, they can often be harmful and kill other species in the marine system that are important for the entire ecosystem.