Mahima Ravi - JUST Water

     
     Americans buy about 29 million  plastic water bottles each year. Unsurprisingly only one out of every six of those bottles are recycled. This is a huge problem since it takes about 1,000 years for a single bottle to decompose. Our landfills are overflowing with all 2 million tons of bottles. 

Image result for plastic bottle pollution
            
     Studies have shown that decomposing bottles release toxins into the environment that can cause health problems such as reproductive issues and cancer. These bottles are not only harming the environment when they are being thrown into landfills but during production as well. Plastic bottles are made from a petroleum product called polyethylene terephthalate which results in the use of large amounts of fossil fuel. 

     An unlikely figure however has created a product to combat the negative effects of plastic bottles. Jaden Smith has created a company with the help of his father, Will Smith, called JUST Water. The company is producing bottles out of paper and plant-based plastic. It also seeks to decrease the level of greenhouse emissions during the production process.

Image result for just water jaden smith

Questions:

           Do you think the pollution caused by plastic bottles is   
      an urgent issue and needs to be addressed immediately?

           What should be our short-term and long-term solutions to 
      this issue?
           
           Do you think the paper bottle concept by JUST Water is 
      actually better than plastic bottles?

           
Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-will-jaden-smith-eco-friendly-water-company-just-20180221-story.html

https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/key-facts-about-plastic-pollution/

http://www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au/news/just-water-takes-the-plunge





Comments

Anonymous said…
Nice post. It’s always weird to think how something so seemingly insignificant is actually so devastating to the environment. The concept of more biodegeradeable, less toxic bottles sounds like a good idea, but I think one of the best things we can do is start using our non-disposable plastic and metal water bottles more often. This would save us countless amounts of materials, conserve our landfill space, and help us out in the long-run even more than having convenient, accessible paper water bottles.
March 27, 2019 at 6:08 AM
Anonymous said…
It is interesting that Jaden Smith, Karate Kid 2.0, would spearhead a movement to combat the negative effects of plastic bottles. Nonetheless, Smith must be applauded for attempting to mitigate the effects of plastic bottles on the environment. In addition to the severe environmental impacts that plastic bottles have while remaining in our landfills, the effects of plastic pollution in the ocean is just as bad. A simple walk on any beach or waterfront will show you a small fraction of the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans — almost 8 million metric tons per year! An simple way to mitigate the impact of single-use, disposable plastic bottles is by purchasing and using water bottles that are made to last longer.
March 27, 2019 at 7:24 AM
Anonymous said…
Initiatives to limit the use of plastic, such as those by JUST water, are becoming increasingly important as plastic accumulates in landfills and presents as a danger to the environment. Additionally, this waste of plastic has severe and dire consequences. Some scientists even purport that the plastic pollution crisis rivals the threat of climate change as it pollutes almost every natural system and an increasing number of organisms on planet Earth. The production of throwaway plastics has grown tremendously - however, the systems to contain, control, reuse and recycle them just haven’t kept pace.
March 27, 2019 at 12:47 PM
Anonymous said…
The pollution caused by plastic bottles is an urgent issue, especially when considering the proliferate use of plastic water bottles. There needs to be effort from both the consumer and the production sides of the plastic bottle life cycle to reduce the impact of plastic bottle production and disposal. Investing in a reusable bottle is a great way to reduce the use of plastic bottles, but may not be an easy option for everyone. Therefore, we should also promote the reuse of the plastic water bottles themselves. On the production side of the issue, there needs to be a shift to more sustainable manufacturing methods and a lesser amount of bottles produced overall. Surprisingly, Jaden Smith appears to be quite the prime example for more sustainable water production with his JUST Water company. Hopefully, his efforts to create a more sustainable manufacturing process will inspire other brands to follow suit, especially if the consumer market demands as such.
March 27, 2019 at 5:31 PM
Anonymous said…
As shown in the article, there are in fact quite a few alternatives to replace the massive usage of plastic water bottles, which do help our environment to become more sustainable and less damaged. However, I personally see our problem placed somewhere else, rather than creating replacements for such disaster. The real problem revolves around the consistent removal of toxic threat coming from the plastic material. That is what we have to focus on now, although alternative sources are significantly crucial as well. \
March 28, 2019 at 6:16 AM
Anonymous said…
We have been told countless times that we should reuse our bottles as much as we can, which includes plastic bottles. This will hopefully lessen the effects. However, as we had learned earlier in class, the order of the Three R’s is important. Reduce is first, so try to use plastic bottles less, this should be our first initiative. Second is reuse, which is obvious. Lastly is recycle, and while it is extremely helpful and also important, we should focus on the other two R’s to begin with, and continue to recycle on the side.
March 28, 2019 at 6:55 AM
Anonymous said…
When plastic bottles were created, many had thought that it was the creation that changed how we live forever. Little did we know then that this would truly completely affect us in our enviroment with high levels of plastic pollution and toxicity. There are many inventions that are being created to try and combat this issue such as edible water bubbles, reusable water bottles that are safe for the enviroment and recyclable and etc. Although we are finding ways to fight plastic water bottles, we still don’t have a sustainable product to completely replace water bottles in a way that it will change our enviroment for the better. Hopefully, we can learn to sustain how we use plastic as we move on.
March 28, 2019 at 7:05 AM
Anonymous said…
This was a great post! I think the concept of JUST water is a great idea because this can help reduce the amount of plastic which ends up in landfills and takes thousands of years to decompose. Any initiative to reduce the amount of plastic can influence others to do the same. Simple efforts such as not using straws and carrying reusable bags to the grocery store reduce plastic use and are a short term way to go about the issue. In addition, we should resort to reusing containers and mugs in our daily lives. These simple, yet effective solutions can help mitigate plastic use.
March 28, 2019 at 7:12 AM
Anonymous said…
When we usually think of pollution, littered plastic bottles usually come to mind. This means that a lot of people are aware of the problems that water bottle and plastic can present to the environment, but do not take any action toward cleaning the Earth. I think that pollution caused by plastic bottle is an urgent issue. The invention of plastic bottle facilitated daily life for many people, but we have become careless about how to dispose these bottles. Hopefully, the paper bottle concept foron JUST Wate can be an inspiration to other similar efforts to reducing the destruction of ecosystems as a result of plastic water bottles.
March 28, 2019 at 7:19 AM
Anonymous said…
It is strange to think that with such a readily available solution to this problem like the JUSTwater company that many others haven’t also been looking to do something. After further research, I found that the new water bottles are going at just $.99 a bottle. At this affordable price, I was confused at why I hadn’t heard of it before. This makes me realize that things like this are not a heavy concern to most people and that it hasn’t become as great an issue as to crate the right amount of press. This just means that by the time something does happen and change that it may be too late.
March 28, 2019 at 7:33 PM
Anonymous said…
I actually listen to some of Jaden Smith’s music, but I had no idea that he and his father had started a company to combat the negative effects of plastic bottles. The work that JUST water is doing is actually really interesting, as I had no idea there was a way to make good quality bottles out of anything other than normal plastic. The negative effects plastic bottles have on the environement can’t be understated, as they release toxins into the environment, like you mentioned, and it is applaudable that such an influential person has decided to use his influence for a good environmental cause.
March 29, 2019 at 7:33 AM
Anonymous said…
That was an interesting purpose! I didn’t know about JUST water, and I think it’s really cool that celebrities like Jaden and Will Smith would use their platforms to advocate for environmental conservation! I think that the idea behind JUST water will help conserve our resources a bit (if the bottles are biodegradable), but overall, I feel like the consumer population will be a bit resistant to switching the use of plastic bottles to alternatives. To improve the plastic problems issue, as usual, we need to educate the public. 1 out 6 plastic bottles is not an amazing ratio, and with a bit more education and emphasis, I feel like we would be able to lower the ratio.
March 29, 2019 at 7:38 AM
Anonymous said…
Plastic water bottles can be detrimental to the environment, but there are ways to lessen the impacts of them. Using reusable water bottles can decrease the negative environmental impacts caused by plastic water bottles, such as decreasing the toxins released that led to diseases and disorders. There are ways to still use plastic bottles, but use them in sustainable ways. Using plastic water bottles multiple times before recycling them is a smart way to help decrease the amount of plastic water bottles in our land fills.
March 29, 2019 at 10:14 AM
Anonymous said…
Although plastic water bottles are convenient, they are a detriment to the ecosystem. Using reusable water bottles are a simple solution to this problem. I used to bring a plastic water bottle every time I left the house, and the bottles added up quickly. Now that I’ve switched over to a reusable water bottle, the amount of water bottles I recycle on a monthly basis drastically decreased. The process of recycling itself is harmful to the environment, so rather than focusing on recycling, we should focus on reducing and reusing the resources we have now.
March 29, 2019 at 11:07 PM
Anonymous said…
I personally do believe that the pollution from these plastic water bottles does outweigh the convenience from the use of these water bottles. Although this form of water is the most convenient, not only do they harm the environment, they can cause major damage to the health of those who drink from these water bottles. These water bottles containing BPA have been linked to chromosomal abnormalities in pregnant women. This BPA exposure has also been linked to breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer when left in the heat. In other news, the amount of plastic water bottles thrown away has increased by 6 times from 1997 to 2004. More than 60 million plastic water bottles end up in landfills every day.
March 31, 2019 at 10:01 AM
Anonymous said…
Plastic bottles and simply plastic in general is detrimental to the environment and its negative effects outweighs the positive. I did some more research into the environmental effects of plastic bottles and found that over sixty million bottles are disposed of daily in the United States alone. Each bottle can take up to a thousand years to decompose and leak harmful chemicals in the process. These toxins could cause cancer or reproductive issues and could affect marine life as well as humans. Clearly, plastic bottles negatively affect everyone and a more environmentally friendly alternative is needed.
March 31, 2019 at 2:49 PM
Anonymous said…
This is a very informative post! When thinking of pollution, the first thing that comes to mind is plastic bottles. It is great to see how figures who have a platform, such as Will and Jaden Smith, are promoting the use of renewable resources that will minimize greenhouse emissions. These biodegradable bottles is one step to take to limit the effects of devastating climate change. Another step we could take is using reusable plastics and metals. Instead of using disposable bottles that last one use, we should purchase a reusable bottle that could last years if taken proper care of.
March 31, 2019 at 3:32 PM
Anonymous said…
I love the initiative that JUST Water is taking! Plastic bottles certainly are convenient... But, in the long run, they simply are not worth the environmental detriment that the excess of plastic they leave behind causes. When properly recycled, plastic bottles aren’t our biggest concern. But they aren’t always. A big initiative that I have noticed in a lot of places is to bring your own reusable water bottle. The draw is that one good-quality reusable water can cost as little as $5, and there are water fountains all over the place these days. I hope this catches on in more places, and that plastic water bottles become obsolete.
April 1, 2019 at 6:36 AM
Anonymous said…
I definitely think that this problem is urgent and definitely needs to be addressed. Because of the amount of plastic bottles that are not recycled, the environment is being ruined, so real action needs to be taken. JUST Water is doing an amazing job in laying the foundation for us to take meaningful action and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On an individual level, we can also each take our own action to minimize this problem. For example, we can start using reusable and metal bottles instead of using plastic bottles. We can also try to recycle even more bottles
April 1, 2019 at 9:43 PM
Anonymous said…
The pollution caused by plastic bottles is truly an urgent issue in my opinion and should be addressed as soon as possible. The steps that are currently being taken towards reducing the pollution caused by plastic bottles, such as JUST Water, are crucial to spreading more awareness about this issue and encouraging people to practice more environmentally sustainable methods. However, I think that we still have a long way to go in terms of finding a sustainable and permanent replacement for plastic bottles. In the meantime, we can do our best to minimize our individual consumption of plastic bottles by seeking out alternatives, like using reusable bottles or recycling plastic bottles.
April 1, 2019 at 9:49 PM
Anonymous said…
Water bottles pose an interesting question: what to do with the waste? It is common knowledge that the plastic is almost always recyclable, but why then is there a problem? I think that most people neglect the reasonable solution of reusing those bottles or using sturdier reusable bottles (like nalgene or another brand). It is always comforting to hear that people have not stopped looking for solutions, and that we can look forward to a generation of people that are working towards sustainability.
April 2, 2019 at 6:17 AM
Anonymous said…
This post was so interesting! It’s surprising to think that simple everyday objects can have such a devastating impact on our environment. Recently, eco friendly products have gained popularity through social media influence, such as the decreasing use of plastic straws. Several social media influencers have made it public knowledge that they use paper/steel straws, therefore sparking a larger movement. The JUST water bottles also fall into this movement. Hopefully this increasing popularity will efficiently lead to the complete ban of plastic that isn’t being recycled.
April 2, 2019 at 6:35 AM
Meredith Miller said…
When discussing the harmful affects of plastic water bottles, it is vital to bring up alternatives, such as “Just Water”. I found that one of the best reusable water bottles are made out of stainless steel. Stainless steel bottles have the longest life span and are 100% recyclable with a high recycle rate in the US. However even when considering alternatives, there are always harms to the environment, such as the harm caused by mining for the steel. It has become increasingly imperative to be educated and compare your options with regards to the environment.
April 2, 2019 at 2:16 PM
Anonymous said…
Great job on the post! Another solution I couldn't help but think of is refilling your own water bottle (whether it be a plastic one that you refill from the tap or something a bit more sturdy) at a water fountain or a tap. I see many people utilizing them at the gym and at school. The coolest ones are the fountains that have a special outlet just for water bottles, and the coolest part is that it even shows you how many plastic water bottles have been refilled by that one machine. I've seen many well over 1 million uses! It's nice to see that this issue is on many people's minds because it is a relatively easy solution.
April 2, 2019 at 4:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Obviously, all pollution is a problem, even if some forms are more detrimental to the environment than others. A short-term issue for this is recycling more water bottles and creating a program or incentive that promotes recycling water bottles, or just using reusable water bottles. A long-term solution could be helping fund JUST water to try and eliminate the need for plastic water bottles altogether. While using paper for bottles isn't a perfect solution, it is already a massive improvement over plastic. I love how reading these blog posts actually influences me to change the way I live to reduce my impact on the environment, and I think your blog post is going to help make me more conscious about what happens when I use a water bottle.
April 2, 2019 at 6:05 PM
Anonymous said…
Pollution comes in all different forms and causes problems in many of these ways. I believe that decreasing water bottle use would greatly help to decrease pollution. JUST water is a great idea but I don't think it will be readily adopted by people. Plastic water bottles are everywhere and thus are very close to people reach. On the other hand, JUST water is not as common and so people are not able to get as much access to them. Although it is a great idea that if implemented would work amazingly, it would be very difficult to do so because of the popularity of plastic water bottles.
April 2, 2019 at 6:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Plant-based plastic bottles are a great idea, and they are a step forward towards more ethical practices. As you indicated, regular plastic bottles are a negative externality that can cause life-threatening issues; this bold initiative by Jaden Smith, therefore, should receive praise, but not without its critiques. A single bottle still contains 15% regular plastic, and the pricing of a bottle is relatively high. If certain costs are reduced and if the bottle is manufactured with even less plastic, the bottle would be nearly perfect.
April 2, 2019 at 6:52 PM
Anonymous said…
Plastic bottles are one of the most wasteful products most people consume daily. I do think using plant-based plastic bottles is definitely a way better alternative than that of plastic bottles. It is a shame how easily we use millions of plastic bottles a year just once. It’s great how people with huge influential platforms like Jaden Smith are taking innitaves in helping the environment. I think it should be more common for average citizens, not just rich celebrities, pushing for a cleaner environment.
April 2, 2019 at 8:56 PM
Anonymous said…
This was a very enlightening blog post. Although convenient, plastic bottles are detrimental to our environment. I think Jaden & Will Smith's initiative to alter the makeup of plastic water bottles is the first step in the right direction. I think the ultimate goal should be to replace plastic water bottles with completely biodegradable bottles.
April 3, 2019 at 3:26 PM
Anonymous said…
As someone who attempts to use as few plastic bottles and rely mainly on my reusable water bottle, I am aware of the harmful effects plastic water bottles bring onto the environment. This currently is a huge problem for the entire world, which means that everyone has to get on board in reducing the amount of plastic water bottle waste. I think it’s amazing and important that celebrities with a lot of influence, like Jaden and Will Smith are helping bring awareness to this problem and trying to bring alternatives into discussion.
April 9, 2019 at 3:19 PM
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