The Newsmagazine of Long Beach Island and Southern Ocean County

By Gail Travers | on August 10, 2022

There are multiple brands of bottled water as I walk down the  beverage aisle in the supermarket. I am overwhelmed by too many choices. I’m buying bottled water as my family is visiting and they can’t exist without it. There will be eight people staying in my house for four days. What do I do, penny-pincher that I am? I buy a 24-pack of the cheapest label.

I pass bottles with refreshing descriptions such as coconut, fruit infused, sparkling, crystal, ionized, volvic, geyser, mineral, artesian and glacier. Brands like Evian, Propel, Fiji, Perrier, Mountain Spring and Aquafina assault my senses with their pure, natural-sounding names. I note there are upscale brands at a more extravagant price. It’s like perusing a wine list at a fancy restaurant.

What has happened over the last 30 years with the astronomical consumption of water in plastic bottles? Our landfills, streets and waters are full of this nonbiodegradable trash. Millions of tons of garbage fill the oceans all over the world.

Truth to tell, I’m guilty as well. I ended up buying all that plastic for my family, and then they arrived with another 24 bottles. In four short days, all 48 bottles were consumed. I know we need hydration, but one young guest claimed to drink at least seven bottles of water daily. My grandchildren are all getting the environmentally friendly thermos water bottles for gifts this year. I keep one in my car, and it’s a handy solution to thirst.

So many of us claim to be environmentalists because we recycle, but despite this, our world and waters are full of trash. Many of us have viewed the shocking films showing huge masses of trash and plastic caught in circulating currents in our oceans. Being aware of the problem can make an impact on all of us to change our ways.

There is a ray of hope with a nonprofit organization called The Ocean Cleanup. This company has developed a two-fold plan to collect these mounds of ocean trash with “garbage boats.” They also intercept trash in rivers and streams. Their goal is to clean up 90% of floating ocean pollution. It’s a lofty, but impressive undertaking. We are lucky on Long Beach Island to have volunteer organizations such as Alliance for a Living Ocean and ReClam the Bay that strive to keep our Island clean.

Plastic pollution is a huge problem, but I’ve noticed another area of change. Our focus to rid the ocean of waste is important, but what do we do with the bottles and plastic we’ve so carefully recycled? Products are currently being made with the containers: shoes, planters, dog collars, rugs and mats. Some building materials are made from the plastic stuff we toss.

I was happy to see an ad featuring the phrase “bottled-up warmth.” A well-known clothing company is using plastic bottles as insulation in winter clothes. Who knows what will come next? I am aware that washing polyester clothes leaves plastic residues in the water, but ski jackets are laundered infrequently.

I’’m an optimist and believe we are on the road to a plastic solution, perhaps even a revolution. Awareness is key and knowledge is power. Our buying habits can have a unifying effect. Let’s all make a choice to cut back a bit and drink our water old school – out of a non-plastic container.

Kathleen Donnelly lives in Beach Haven Terrace.

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