Bottled water waste continues to be a major concern for our world.  In 2006, Americans used nearly 50 billion plastic water bottles and sent nearly 38 billion to landfills.  If laid end to end, that’s enough bottles to travel from the Earth to the Moon and back 10 times.

Looking to make an environmentally friendly impact at your office?  Here are 9 ways to reduce plastic bottle waste at your workplace.

1. Initiate a Company-Wide Ban on Single-Use Water Bottles

Imagine a workplace free of plastic bottle waste filling up waste containers.  Encourage your company to consider a  ban on single-use water bottles thus becoming more green and sustainable.    Having trouble getting the management to agree to such an egregious suggestion?  Sell them on the idea that instituting something like this will be great for PR and make your company a bright spot in the green business community.

2. Prominently Display Recycling Containers Throughout Your Facility

Okay.  I get it.  Maybe some companies out there aren’t quite ready for a complete ban on bottles.  Well there’s still hope through recycling.  Did you know that recycling one ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space?  Take the initiative to get a company-wide recycling program started by placing recycling containers throughout your office.  Send co-workers memos noting the new containers and why recycling is important.   For a more detailed look at starting an office recycling program, check out Wake County’s Guide to Starting a Recycling Program.

3. Install a Sustainable Water Dispenser

Forget single-use bottled water and start using a sustainable water dispenser to fill up your sports bottle and meet the needs for hydration.  The HydrationStation water dispenser features a touch-free, hygienic interface with built-in filter technology to make tap water taste great.  Water dispensers like the HydrationStation can save your company thousands of dollars on bottled water costs while creating a more eco-friendly work environment.  (more…)

The Reno Waste Management team is taking steps to ban the bottle by encouraging employees and the local Reno community to use ban one-time-use plastic bottles and use more eco-friendly reusable bottles like those from Nalgene.

Americans grab 60-million bottles of water per day. But now, instead of just asking you to recycle those plastic water bottles, Waste Management is saying maybe you shouldn’t use them at all. “If you really want to do something good for the environment it is to get one of those plastic bottles you can reuse,” said Justin Caporusso a spokesman for Waste Management.

That’s also the message behind the Washoe County Health Department’s newest campaign, “I refill.” Instead of buying a bottle of water, they want you to invest in a refillable bottle for water. “We want people to stop using so many single use plastic water bottles,” said Tracie Douglas of the District Health Department.

Considering 8 of 10 plastic bottles aren’t recycled, you’d decrease the amount sent to the landfill and that’s good for the environment.

Considering a gallon of bottled water could cost up to $10 you’d also decrease the amount you spend and that’s also good for you wallet.

And considering most plastic bottles contain a chemical called BPA (known to cause diabetes and liver disease) you’d decrease your exposure and that’s good for your health.” There are tons of different chemicals used when you make a plastic bottle, but that particular one does leech into whatever particular beverage you’re drinking,” said Douglas

Money used to promote reusing actually comes from the recycle fee you pay every time you buy a new tire. It’s a campaign, meant to keep the environment rolling in the right direction.

[via KTVN TV]

In an unprecidented move, the North Carolina Legislature has enacted a new law that bans throwing away one-time-use plastic bottles.  This law, taking affect in fall 2009, is aimed at curbing increasing waste from plastic product such as water bottles, sode bottles, milk jugs and shampoo bottles.

The ban includes type 1 polyethylene terephthalate plastic, or PET, and type 2 high-density polyethylene plastic, or HDPE. PET materials include water and soda bottles, and HDPE materials include shampoo bottles and milk jugs. Bottles sold in the state contain a code on the bottom identifying its classification.

The law also bans oil filters and wooden pallets from being thrown away.Scott Mouw, state recycling director, said the law is designed to lessen the burden on landfills and boost the economy.”I think it’s really necessary. It’s a great way to create jobs, and it’s a great way to reduce our long-term dependency on landfills,” he said.Melanie Bruton, environmental programs coordinator for High Point, said the law won’t be aggressively enforced at a residential level.”In the city of High Point, we do not have a litter police. We’re not going to have someone to pick up those people, but these items have been banned from the landfill,” Bruton said. (more…)

On May 28, 2009 the Central Okanagan Regional District Board became the 50th municipality (and the 33rd in 2009) to implement restrictions on bottled water. The Canadian board noted the bottled water continues to cause numerous environment problems.

This is another big win for Canada and the Ban the Bottle movement!