In 2013, Marblehead High School’s graduating class donated an Elkay ezH2O filtered water fountain to the school. Located in the cafeteria, this machine serves numerous students each day. The fountain offers a traditional drinking spout, as well as one specialized for filling water bottles. Often when students take a drink or fill up their bottle, they notice the small screen in the corner with an ever-rising number. This number represents the total number of water bottles saved through the machine. By filling up with a reusable bottle, students eliminate the potential waste of disposable alternatives. However, does this tally affect the amount of waste saved? The machine does quantify the school’s environmental impact, but numbers are only impactful if they motivate change. It is currently unclear whether or not the tracker is in fact a motivational tool. As for awareness projects led by students, the school’s environmental club has made headway on bottle waste. By establishing recycling stations within the cafeteria, students can now dispose of their bottles in the place that they most consume them. Student leaders also plan to further awareness on plastic bottle waste in the future. For now, they work towards reducing the district’s polystyrene waste.
Nevertheless, the tracker recently hit a milestone; on Tuesday, April 3rd of 2018, the water fountain officially saved 500,000 water bottles. Marblehead High School is fortunate to have this machinery, however is its full environmental impact being reached? Headlight is passionate about this topic, and will soon update with further investigation.