Plastic Free MV

Project Description

Funds from this grant will be used to purchase stainless steel re-usable water bottles with our logo so that we can sell them and use the proceeds to fund a water refill station at our school.  Students in a club called Plastic Free MV (in collaboration with Straw Free MV) are attempting to ban the sales of single use plastic water and soda bottles in the town of West Tisbury. They are aware that it would be  a necessity to have a public water supply source if this bill were to pass. They have mapped out several locations to put the stations, one being right here at school. Currently there is a water bottle vending machine and this would eliminate the need for that.

How will the project be evaluated (e.g. how will you gauge its success)?

The project will be evaluated by student engagement and sales of this bottle to students/parents and community members. With the funds raised we would like to purchase a refill station which cost about 2k. We will also hold fundraisers throughout the year to help offset the cost.

Benefit to the students and the school

This is from the site, Ban the Bottle: Here are some reasons not to purchase bottled water

-One plastic bottle can take hundreds of years to decompose; therefore, loading up our landfills for years at a time
(Greeniac24)
-Expensive and costly compared to drinking tap water or filtered water from a reusable, biodegradable bottle
-The production of one plastic bottle uses energy, emits toxins into the air, and uses more water to produce than actually put into the bottle for drinking
-Plastic bottles contain a harmful substance called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which is dangerous to human health (Greeniac24)

Here are some benefits of using a reusable water bottle

-Better for our environment by reducing the amount of fossil fuels and toxins released into the air during production
-Durable, stylish, and can help you decrease your carbon footprint (Greeniac24)
-Tap water is more cost-efficient. Bottled water can cost up to 500 times the cost of tap water
-Better for your health and the health of your family by using a BPA-free, lead-free reusable bottle

Timeline of Project (when will you do the project, if applicable)

We would like to start this ASAP