REFILL and REUSE. That’s the pledge people took at Claremont’s recent Fall Festival & Chili Cook-off. They will refill and reuse the aluminum water bottles they received for taking the pledge. Those who pledged want to reduce the number of single-use plastic water bottles that harm their health and environment. Refilling and reusing their new aluminum bottles will help. A special thanks to Jen Nelson, financial advisor at Edward Jones financial services, for donating the reusable bottles.
So, what’s wrong with water in plastic bottles?
– Plastic bottles are a health risk. The chemicals in the bottles can leach into the water, causing hormone imbalance, fertility problems, and some cancers.
– Plastic bottles harm wildlife. Single-use plastic bottles often end up in rivers and oceans where they break down into smaller pieces and are eaten by marine life. Sea birds and turtles have suffocated and/or died from starvation caused by plastic-filled stomachs.
Producing plastic contributes to global warming. Lots of fossil fuel is used to produce a plastic bottle. More than 17 million barrels of oil are needed to satisfy the annual US market for plastic water bottles.
– About 1.39 liters of water are needed to produce a 1-liter plastic bottle.
– Americans throw away 35 billion empty plastic water bottles each year. Of those, only 12% are recycled.
– Most bottled water is actually tap water.
– Bottled water is much more expensive that tap water.
– Plastic bottles littering our streets, sidewalks, highways, and parks are eyesores that diminish the quality of life in Claremont.
A few aluminum water bottles are left. Want one? It will help protect your health and save our environment.
Write to [email protected] to sign the pledge and get your free reusable water bottle.
Jack Hurley
Claremont, NH
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