October 7, 2009
Opinion
Message in a bottle: What a waste
The Charles and the acres of parkland on both banks are a jewel, and the walk always rewards one with the beauty of the changing seasons and the constancy of the landmarks. But I was on a mission this day. Twice a year I walk this stretch of the river equipped with green garbage bags and pick up bottles and cans. My efforts make a minor dent in the load of garbage, but also provide an understanding of the source and potential solutions to this problem.
The largest single category of containers was water bottles. The 112 bottles that I picked up are a minute portion of the 3 billion plastic bottles of water that Americans buy and discard annually. Why do we spend millions of dollars to package something that is easily accessible at nearly no cost, then spend many more millions of dollars to collect, and then deposit them in landfills where they last nearly forever? A few simple steps can correct the problem.
First, we should refill water bottles from the tap in our homes or work place rather than buying additional bottles of water.
Second, local and state police departments should enforce existing antilitter laws. Massachusetts law provides for a $20 fine for the first three offenses in a calendar year and $100 for subsequent ones. It also provides for the suspension of a driver’s license for littering from a car or permitting a passenger to do so. A few $20 tickets and licenses suspended should significantly reduce the volume of littering.
Third, lawmakers should support a new bottle bill drafted by Representative Alice Wolf of Cambridge. The bill would place a 5-cent deposit on every water bottle along with juice and energy containers. Over 1 billion such containers are disposed of each year in the Commonwealth. Placing a deposit on them would generate between $15 million and $20 million in needed revenue for the Commonwealth as well as reducing litter and the load on the state’s waste treatment facilities.
Fourth, universities, hospitals, and corporations should stop buying bottled water.
Fifth, we can each do our part by picking up a bottle or can or two on our daily walks to and from work, school, or exercise. If each of us were to pick up an occasional stray bottle and put it in our curbside recycling bin, our landscape would look much lovelier at no cost.
Eliminating plastic water bottles will not eliminate all trash and litter from the parklands and roadsides, but if my experience is any indication, it could reduce that mess by at least a third. I look forward to the day when we enjoy the Charles River without having to tolerate the sight of bottles and cans littering the landscape.
Dr. Michael F. Epstein, a member of the board of directors of the Charles River Conservancy, is former executive vice president of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/10/07/message_in_a_bottle_what_a_waste/
