The Flint Water Plant tower is seen, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 in Flint, Mich. Flint is under a public health emergency after its drinking water became tainted when the city switched from the Detroit system and began drawing from the Flint River in April 2014 to save money.
The city was under state management at the time.
Recycling returned to Flint in 2013 after the emergency manager decided to outsource the waste collection of the city.
Republic Services not only took over the waste collection, but it provided recycling services for the city about a year before the Flint water crisis hit and the amount of plastic bottles soared.
Unfortunately, not many people would start off using the new recycling program.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Why Flint is still relying on bottled water The first time officials had initially told the citizens that the water was safe to drink, the residents also had their doubts.
At the time of her interview, she had about 15 cases of 24 bottles of water in her house.
Efforts to cut back on plastic Companies that sell bottled water such as Nestle and Coca-Cola came to Flint’s aid starting in 2015, contributing to the amount of water donated.
After the officials declared the tap water safe to drink, Nestle representative Jason Manshum said the company’s partners in Flint prompted them to continue providing water in a new effort that started mid-May and will continue to Labor Day.
"It’s important for people to understand we recognize when you’re providing an abundance of bottled water for a community, you’re also providing additional plastic," Manshum said.