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SACRAMENTO, CA – An
on-the-go society combined with masses
of health conscious consumers has turned
the single serve bottle of water into a
national icon. Now, according to a
report released today by the California
Department of Conservation, billions of
these empty “icons” are causing serious
environmental problems.
According to the
report, more than 1 billion water
bottles are winding up in the trash in
California each year. That translates
into nearly 3 million empty water
bottles going to the trash EVERY day and
an estimated $26 million in unclaimed
California Refund Value (CRV) deposits
annually. If recycled, the raw materials
from those bottles could be used to make
74 million square feet of carpet, 74
million extra large T-shirts or 16
million sweaters, among other things.
Instead, they are
swallowing landfill space, increasing
air pollution and destroying the ozone
layer.
“The sight of a water
bottle in someone's hand has become as
common as a cell phone,” said Darryl
Young, Director of the California
Department of Conservation. “In
California, one is usually in the right,
and the other is in the left. What
people don’t realize is that these water
bottles are recyclable and have
detrimental environmental impacts if
thrown in the trash”
With their popularity
increasing and summer right around the
corner, single serve water bottles are
poised to cause even greater
environmental concerns if recycling
rates go unchanged. According to the
report, only 16 percent of polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) water bottles sold
in California are being recycled. At
that rate, the amount of water bottles
thrown in the trash ten years from now
would be enough to create a two lane,
six-inch deep highway that stretches the
entire coast of California.
The bottles also
present significant air pollution
concerns as many are incinerated with
regular trash. Anyone who has seen a
plastic bottle melt knows of the toxic
smoke and fumes it can create. These
fumes not only pose health risks, they
create “green house gases” that attack
the ozone layer.
“What’s most
discouraging is that these empty water
bottles can be recycled and used for so
many things,” continues Young. “Recycled
PET water bottles can be used as raw
material to make products like sweaters,
carpet, t-shirts, and even products for
the home.
Young feels the
growing problem could be solved with a
small amount of help from consumers.
“The real challenge is making people
aware that their water bottles are
recyclable and convincing them to hold
onto them until they can be recycled –
especially when it isn’t always
convenient. In the end, the small extra
effort could help avert a big
environmental problem.”
Young encourages
consumers to ask for recycling. “If your
local gas station or convenience mart
doesn’t offer a recycling bin, ask them
to put one in. If there’s not a
recycling program at work, start one up.
Most important, hold on to that
container until you can recycle it.”
Consumers can call 1-800-RECYCLE
(California only) or visit
www.bottlesandcans.com to learn
about the nearest recycling center or
how to start a recycling program at
work.
California is one of
10 states with a beverage
container-recycling program based on a
minimum deposit or value placed on
beverage containers. The Department of
Conservation administers the California
Beverage Container Recycling and Litter
Reduction Act, which became law in 1986.
The primary goal of the act is to
achieve and maintain high recycling
rates for each beverage container type
included in the program.
Consumers pay CRV
(California Refund Value) when they
purchase beverages from a retailer. The
deposits are refunded to consumers when
empty containers are redeemed through
local recycling centers. CRV is also
refunded to those who operate curbside
programs or pick up recyclables from
bins located in public venues such as
parks, beaches and sporting events.
In addition to
promotion of the state's beverage
container recycling program, the
Department of Conservation administers
programs to safeguard agricultural and
open-space land; regulates oil, gas and
geothermal wells in the state; studies
and maps earthquakes, landslides and
mineral resources; and ensures
reclamation of land used for mining.
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