Following the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2019, many schools across the country took a “better safe than sorry” approach to the virus. By removing water fountains from campuses, schools tried to limit the spread of the highly contagious disease. This idea, in theory, seemed like a positive one at first. But one unfortunate side effect was schools and parents decided to issue plastic water bottles to children.
It is a good idea for everyone to have a personal water bottle. It helps to cut down on beverage sharing that can lead to germ-spreading. But it is obviously a mistake to so greatly increase the dependency on plastic bottles, which is what most of those who removed drinking fountains did. Reusing a single plastic bottle is much more admirable than relying on a new bottle every time. However, using a plastic bottle is still problematic. Learn more about why your reusable plastic bottle isn’t cutting it and what you can do about it.
In short, you should consider replacing your reusable plastic bottle with a certified 90-percent post-consumer recycled stainless steel bottle. It is one of the most straightforward, effective ways you can upgrade your beverage game. It also benefits the environment. Plastic water bottles might be branded as “reusable,” but there is a definite limit to that. Ultimately, they remain a problem to the environment. They degrade with each use. They leach chemicals into your food and drinks. They stain, and they retain odors and flavors. And, when it’s finally time to discard them, they take hundreds of years to decompose.
Many parents and school administrators face the problem of providing water for children while keeping them safe from coronavirus. Let’s start by examining whether removing fountains is the right solution at all.