Photo by Jonathan Chng on UnsplashBefore we drive deep into the Portland, Oregon chain that wants us to stop using single-use plastic water bottles, let’s take a look at some research.
According to the website Statista, a reputable and famous source for international business data that serves over 170 industries and 150 countries, over half a trillion plastic bottles will be produced this year, which is 2021.
It’s not surprising that there is a massive surge in water bottle use given current world events, where consumption is higher than ever before. Furthermore, the majority of these plastic bottles will somehow end up not being recycled or will end up escaping the recycling loop.
Photo by Sigmund on UnsplashThis means that using these single-use plastic water bottles will fill up across many landfills, which will definitely pollute the environment. I mean, further research suggests that it takes water bottles to decompose for as long as 450 years or more.
That’s a lot of time. In that time, those areas will become unsustainable and pollute the environment.
Photo by Waldemar Brandt on UnsplashCuriously, in a massive effort to appeal to people and the planet we live on, the supermarket chain New Seasons Market has decided to remove all single-use plastic water bottles from their shelves.
What they will do instead is encourage reusable options by allowing customers to purchase water from reusable non-plastic bottles instead. I mean, a lot of us carry those reusable bottles anyway — they look a lot prettier and shinier than a plastic water bottle.
Photo by quokkabottles on UnsplashAnyways, New Seasons Market has stores that are primarily in Portland, Oregon, and other parts of the state. New Seasons Market also had stores in California, through their subsidiary called New Leaf Community Markets.
The plan is for New Seasons Market to start off this initiative on Earth Day, which is on April 22, 2021. According to their sustainability manager, Athena Petty, the company has had some vision about the packaging of water bottles for some time.
The plan to eliminate bottled water is great since we need to use more reusable bottles. It’s a win-win for all parties — the customers, the stores, the planet, and so much more.
Photo by Dennis Siqueira on UnsplashIt’s also great that this company is willing to practice what they preach by allowing and enabling a system where customers can choose to buy more environmentally friendly and sustainable products.
If we cannot change our behavior, at least we can influence the behavior of corporations. This type of promising initiative promotes a new way of doing things. I mean, society has accepted reusable bottles a long time ago. It was just a matter of time before the corporations picked up what people wanted.
Photo by krakenimages on UnsplashAnyways, after doing data analysis on what kind of packaging to eliminate, the store chain decided to keep on selling larger plastic jugs that would contain sparkling and still water. With the smaller single-use bottles, they will replace and substitute them as needed, possibly with regular old tap water.
If customers still want a small bottle of water, there are still other reusable options at New Seasons Market that include the use of Pathwater. For those not aware, Pathwater is a recyclable and reusable bottled water that is in a sturdy aluminum bottle. It’s lightweight, affordable, and refillable.
Plus, the store offers some in-store refill stations as needed.
Photo by GoingGreen 
Overall, it’s kind of fascinating what a big deal this whole situation is — especially since companies rarely make initiatives that improve the lives of their customers and also that of the planet. For people in places like Portland, Oregon, for example, perhaps it’s a sign of the renewed interest in our planet and environment.
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