Hydro flasks and other reusable water bottles gain popularity and help reduce plastic waste around campus

Serving as a trendy accessory, an eco-friendly way to stay hydrated, and a place to keep your sticker collection, reusable water bottles are all the rage at PRHS. But, despite being a mainstream trend, the reusable water bottle fad is more than just a fleeting fashion statement.

Katelynn Lamb, who has been the Science Academy 2 and AP Environmental teacher since the 2017-2018 school year, believes there is a deeper reason for students’ obsession with reusable bottles.

“I think it's great that its trendy. It is amazing that people are making this a trend, but I think that came from the idea that we want to use less resources or that we want to create less waste. I think that it stemmed from this environmental impact idea and then kind of carried over to popular culture,” Lamb said.

Currently, Lamb’s AP Environmental class is studying biogeochemical cycles and ecosystems by growing bean, radish, and lettuce plants inside repurposed plastic gallon water bottles. Lee said that her class will use them again for their “Trash to Art” project at the end of the school year. This is one of many ways to reuse plastic water bottles, which helps prolong their ending up in a landfill or the ocean.

Once plastic is made, “it sits on our planet for a really long time. In the ocean, where it’s bombarded by waves and wind, those plastics will eventually become smaller and smaller fragments [or] microplastics,” stressed Lamb, She also explained, “when animals consume microplastics they tend to block their digestive tracts, which alters how they eat, grow, and reproduce. Some species like the albatross die with their bellies full of plastics.”

Lamb’s AP Environmental students learn about how human activities affect Earth’s ecosystems and explore solutions to environmental issues. She also mentioned her wishes that students understood how long plastics remain after we have used them and believes it is time for single-use plastic water bottles to be phased out.

¨I think we’re at the day and age where reusable bottles should become normal. Single-use plastics like cutlery, plates, and cups, where you have lunch one time and then they are permanent waste, is transitioning as people become more educated about what happens with their waste,” explained Lamb. “I think that the first step is being educated and understanding what’s happening and then making those educated choices. That can make a big difference.”

While a growing number of PRHS students are hopping on the Hydro Flask bandwagon, 79% of 62 students surveyed own some type of reusable bottle. Bearcats supporting the movement to reduce plastic waste appreciate the use of any reusable water bottle, regardless of the hype around its brand.

“I think there’s definitely a culture around specific types of water bottles but I like that there’s this broadening happening where people are just bringing whatever they have...now just having a reusable water bottle is becoming more trendy so it doesn’t really matter the kind but that you have one,” said Lamb.

Each person who switches to a reusable water bottle, such as a Hydro Flask, saves 217 disposable water bottles from ending up in a landfill, accorded to ocean pollution blogger and Penn State student, JoLynn Harper. Many students feel the same as Lamb about single-use bottles; 92% of Bearcats surveyed are very concerned or a little concerned about the environmental effects of using disposable water bottles.

PRHS senior Jaden Hansen found a way to reduce PRHS’ use of disposable bottles: selling inexpensive but reusable aluminum PathWater bottles on campus. Using an online petition, he is currently trying to get enough signatures to talk to the school board.

“The petition was created by PathWater, an organization that creates and sells environmentally-friendly, aluminum reusable water bottles that contributes to their goal of shifting away from single-use plastic water bottles.” Hansen said.

“Coming across the petition online and seeing it be brought into effect at my old school, I believe that it would do well at Paso High. Also, seeing the amount of single-use plastic water bottles being used at this school and knowing the effect it has on the environment and on us, it urges me to do something about it.”

By walking through campus, one can see that reusable water bottles are gaining popularity among students. Of the students surveyed, only 25% do not own a reusable bottle.

¨I just I feel like we’re timing out. I feel like now that we’re almost to 2020 we need to be a little bit more conscientious of our choices,” Lamb said, “I just think it’s time that we really switch over [to reusable bottles].”