By 2050, it’s possible that, ton for ton, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish. Project Green has made it our mission to ensure that Scarsdale High School works to combat this crisis. That’s why we propose that SHS ends its sale of plastic water bottles in the lunchrooms and encourage students to bring reusable ones, instead.

The blue recycling bins around the school are not enough. Estimates say that a whopping 91% of plastic is not recycled. Even if students remember to sort their waste, there’s still a good chance that their bottles end up in a landfill and ultimately the ocean. From there, toxins inside plastics kill hundreds of thousands of sea animals and contaminate our food supply.

Not only are plastic bottles bad for the environment, they may be bad for YOU as well. When you take a sip from a Poland Springs bottle, you could be ingesting BPAs and other toxic chemicals that can cause cancer and liver damage. What’s even more frightening is that scientists do not fully understand these chemicals’ long-term effects.

For the health of ourselves, our peers, and the planet, let’s ask SHS to stop selling these harmful bottles.

Works Cited:

Andrews, Gianna. “Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health.” Case Studies, 13 Jan. 2020, serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.html.

Parker, Laura. “Plastic or Planet? A Whopping 91% of Plastic Isn't Recycled.” National Geographic, 2018, A whopping 91% of plastic isn't recycled.