Every day in the Parkland School District in Pennsylvania, USA, students purchase disposable plastic water bottles and are given free disposable plastic straws with their school breakfasts and lunches. Staff and students can also purchase plastic water bottles from vending machines and bottled water machines around school facilities.

As awareness is raised about microplastics and their effects on the natural environment and on human health, Parkland students are beginning to realize why these products need to go. According to the National Institute of Health, exposure to microplastics during childhood can lead to organ system problems later in life, problems with hormones, and increase a person's risk of being affected by ADHD, mental health disorders, etc. People consume these microplastics directly through food and drink that has been in contact with plastic and through eating foods, such as fish, that contain microplastics from the environment.

As our water supplies become more contaminated, and the ocean is filling up with plastic, animals are being killed and plant life is being harmed. Additionally, disposable water bottles and straws require oil to manufacture. These manufacturing processes also emit greenhouse gasses which contribute to global warming, which is causing some of the drastic climate changes we are beginning to see. NOW is the time for Parkland to act to protect their students now and in the future.

As a seventh grade student and president of the Springhouse Middle School Green Team, I and the other Green Team members are making the following requests:

A) The sale of ALL disposable plastic water bottles in ALL Parkland School District cafeterias will be stopped.

B) Students who are purchasing/receiving school breakfast and lunch will not be offered disposable plastic straws.

C) Disposable plastic water bottles will no longer be sold in vending machines anywhere on district property. Vending machines specifically for bottled water will be removed or no longer used.

We are asking that all students, family members, taxpayers, and members of the environmental awareness community take the time to add their names to the list of people who stand for the future of kids and teens. After all, it is a school district's job to set their students up for hopeful futures.

Image from:

Kormann, C. (2019, September 16). Where Does All the Plastic Go? The New Yorker. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/where-does-all-the-plastic-go