I am reaching out to you today with a sobering insight. Last year, my non-profit, Day Zero Water, installed a reverse osmosis water unit in the Ghazipur slum area, located in the outskirts of New Delhi, India, providing drinking water for 40 women waste-picker artisans and about 100 children. The experience was a painful eye-opener as we witnessed the devastating health effects of poor sanitation conditions, a lack of clean water, and mounting plastic waste.

Back in New York, it is not difficult to see a glimpse of Ghazipur's haunting reality if we do not address our overconsumption of single-use plastic water bottles. It's shocking to reflect on the fact that approximately 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute globally, and less than 30% of these are recycled. This plastic waste ends up polluting our oceans and landfills, threatening marine life, and causing microplastics to enter our food chain.

By banning single-use plastic bottles, we in New York, can showcase a path towards sustainable living to the rest of the United States. A ban would significantly cut down carbon emissions, conserve valuable resources, and encourage us to adopt eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives. It's our task to stop the proliferation of single-use plastic water bottles, not only for our sakes but also for the well-being of our children, our wildlife, and our planet.

I urge you to sign this petition to ban single-use plastic water bottles in the United States. Together, we can take a firm stand against environmentally harmful practices and usher in a future that values the health of our communities over convenience.