Why we do what we do!
In addition to the energy it takes to create bottled water, environmentalists have reported the effects of plastic waste on land and ocean pollution. For every square mile of ocean waters, there are approximately 46,000 pieces of plastic trash floating around and causing harm to animals and marine ecosystems. By 2050, it’s projected that the ocean will contain more plastic in weight than fish. That’s in addition to the tens of millions of disposable water bottles and beverage containers found in landfills. They leak harmful chemicals as they slowly decompose; and one bottle can take up to one thousand years to fully break down. The effects of plastic pollution in our oceans is devastating not only for marine life and our environment, but it’s also filtering down and affecting the health of humans as well.
Despite these numbers, reports have shown, on a global scale, humans buy a million plastic bottles per minute. The estimation by 2020 is that over half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold. Since these beverage containers are typically made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which takes at least 400 years to naturally decompose, it continuously increases the health risks of ocean life since that’s where a large portion of plastic waste ends up. Even if you recycle, your plastic water bottles may still end up in the water or in an overflowing landfill.
Suffice it to say, the statistics surrounding plastic water pollution are staggering. The strain on the environment is only worsening, but there is a solution that helps to protect the planet while still creating clean water solutions. As part of our mission, FloWater saves 2.38 bottles per second and gives people access to purified drinking water that’s transforming tap water. It changes people’s habits and provides an alternative to plastic, which ultimately contributes to the decrease in pollution.
In the consumer use stage, heavy metals, carcinogens, and microplastics may be directly ingested and can affect multiple health functions, including the cardiovascular, reproductive, and respiratory systems. The same health pollutants are found in the waste management stage as plastic bottles wait to be broken down in landfills or dumped into the ocean. This also affects fish and other marine life, another impact for anyone who includes fish and seafood into their diet.
As you can see, there are many dangers of drinking from plastic bottles. Even in its early stages, plastic already creates problems that lead to lasting effects on people and the environment. Ecosystems are disturbed and human health is at risk because of the chemicals and toxins that are given off. In short, it takes more fossil fuel energy at a higher cost to produce something that’s ultimately harmful than choosing a sustainable solution that’s free of chemicals and more cost-effective.
We would like to see the plastic water bottle become obsolete. Sustainability is a fully faceted concept, and as such we have a broad range of solutions to offer.
Our goal is to provide products and services that are sustainable for Maui, enhancing the community by bringing together local organizations in our projects, to create sustainable lifestyle infrastructure & ecotourism networks.We are seeking 100+ businesses and organizations on Maui to commit to 2020 plastic free goals.
This includes: Plastic Free Businesses, compostable products, water refill stations, recycling bins, alternative energy, locally sourced food, vegan & vegetarian options, EV Charging, BYOC (bring your own container) and more!
We are the first FloWater Hawaii Representative in Maui. FloWater is an alkaline water refill station that is easy to install at any location. It is the most advanced water filtration system on the market. By installing these water refill stations across Maui, we can seriously impact reduction, with the potential of completely eliminating, single use plastic water bottles in the near future.