100,000 Bottles Saved = No Waste

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2010) – When the University of Kentucky Student Center administrators see a problem, whether it be local or global, they want to help. In this case, they want to help the earth – or at least UK’s little corner of it -- stay green. 

According to the Container Recycling Institute, the U.S. wastes approximately 877 plastic water bottles every second, 52,620 every minute, and well over 3 million every hour. Recycling just one ton of that waste saves landfills 7.4 cubic yards of space and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year in disposal and litter cleanup costs.

The Student Center plans to help reduce this waste by encouraging students, faculty and staff to refill water bottles at its new filling stations. The 12 specially equipped water fountains provide purified water that is fresh, cool and free. The filling stations make the Student Center one of the few places on campus that provides free purified water.

"The Cats Den is doing its part to help students become environmentally conscious. Each year 38 billion bottles are wasted in the United States, while less than a third are recycled. If we (UK) can drop that number by using the Student Center’s purified water filling stations instead of purchasing water bottles each day, why not?" said Jeremy C. Ridgeway, the Student Center event coordinator.

Don't have a bottle to refill? No problem. The Student Center is selling 16-ounce stainless steel water bottles in the Cats Den for $8 in an effort to promote its 100,000 Bottles campaign. This sustainable, refillable bottle saves patrons money, while it also saves in the production and disposal of millions of plastic water bottles.

By installing the water fountains and selling the stainless steel bottles, the Student Center is striving to eliminate 100,000 bottles of waste from landfills by the end of the academic school year. Each of the 12 filling stations counts every “bottle” that has been “saved.” As of Sept. 20, enough water has flowed to save 23,827 bottles.

Partnering with the UK Sustainability Office, the UK Student Center hopes to not only make a difference in the environment, but also encourage its patrons to be environmentally conscious.