The ban represents the culmination of efforts by the Kick the Water Bottle Committee, a group of students who since last year have been introducing their peers to the idea of reducing their carbon footprintby using reusable water bottles at the school’s water fountains.
"I think it was a good way to get rid of that habit."
During the weeklong stay, conservation of water was promoted by limiting showers and other methods, said Romanos.
They were persuasive. The school community banned bottles at the beginning of this school year.
During their research, committee members were shocked to learn that many recycled plastic bottles don’t always end up getting recycled, said Samantha Sivulka, another senior involved with the initiative.
"Even if you recycle, they get sent to landfills anyway," said Sivulka. "It’s not a permanent solution to a big problem."
In addition to reducing plastic waste, committee members have also tried convincing their peers to use reusable water bottles by showing them how much money they would save.
However, as the year went on, students got used to reusable bottles.