JT Kelly, Skyler LaFemina
Environmental Politics
10/19/15
Sustainability Project
Project Memo-Imagining Solutions
Sustainability Goal: Decrease cost of water for citizens of Troy and students of RPI, reduce
plastic waste, and promote conservation by installing refillable water bottle stations around
downtown Tory, RPI and Troy schools. In replace of purchasing bottled water (plastic bottles)
from supermarkets, convince stores and vending machines, people can reuse bottles made from
stainless steel or another reusable material and have access to clean, safe and refreshing water on
the go. In addition to partnering with ELKAY, a producer of refillable water bottle fountains, we
are considering creating or partnering with a preexisting smart-phone application so that the
locations of the refillable water bottle stations can be viewed on phones, laptops and tablets.
While the main priority of our mission is to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste,
carbon emissions from the transportation of bottled water, and the manufacturing process of
bottled water, we will be promoting the project through the various economic benefits for
individuals and businesses. By utilizing this tactic, businesses will be promoted to install these
fountains in their buildings and people will be more willing to participate in the transition from
bottled water to refillable water bottles as their participation will result in reduced water costs.
1) Given that water bottle waste as well as the transportation of bottled water is a huge problem
in the modern worlds carbon footprint, our group wants to eliminate the waste of plastic water
bottles and create an eco-friendly city one water bottle at a time. The amount of plastic water
bottles that are thrown in the trash per day in one city is a tremendous amount. The waste that
this creates is not just the plastic from the water bottle itself, but the emissions from the large
trucks that are transporting these cases to and from factories and stores as well as the
manufacturing of plastic water bottles. If the need for bottled water was eliminated in a city, the
transportation and manufacturing of these bottles would be greatly decreased.
2) Multiple solutions for this problem have been proposed. One proposed situation is for all town
buildings, school systems in the city, and businesses to have a water bubbler as well as a Elkaylike system that fills up water bottles such as Nalgene’s, Shaker Bottle’s, and Camelback’s.
Doing this would eliminate all plastic water bottle usage if all citizens, students, and employees
had access to water all the time to fill a re-usable water bottle. The problem with this situation is
that the city of Troy can do this in any of the city buildings but they have to encourage all
businesses as well as the school systems to install this technology in their buildings unless they
made it a code for any new buildings or renovations. This creates a potential debate but if it was
negotiated or passed, it would make a great impact on the city of Troy.
3) The promise in this preposition is the cutback of plastic water bottles, its associated carbon
emissions and consequentially, a reduction in the cost of water for citizens and students. This
will also cutback the transportation of bottled water packages and shipments. With this new
technology of refillable water stations, it would be a cheaper way for citizens, students, and
employees to find access to a clean source of water and to help the planet in the process.
4) There are a couple of limits that come with this proposal. As with most situations in modern
day time, money could be a severe problem given the situation. The amount of money that would
be saved for this budget would determine how many water stations could be installed in Troy.
We must also consider the amount of funds that school systems and businesses are willing to
spend on installing this technology in their facilities and buildings. This also goes for the city of
Troy as well as other companies who want to take part in this movement. We also need to
provide or sell a onetime reusable water bottle that would provide people with a water bottle of
their liking to fill at these water stations. Although the sale of these water bottles would not
amount to a huge profit, all proceeds could be go towards the purchase of the water systems.
5) Any solution that needs to be handled would be something that would be able to be prepared
for and undertaken with no problems. Whether it is ranging from fundraising for the technology
to the maintenance of these water fountains, whatever the issue was, there would be a solution to
undertake any problem. Although it is a large movement, it is a more simple one then most
projects that are going into effect in a whole city would be. We are proposing a very simple
straight forward plan that would greatly improve the city of Troy. A small plan with a great
impact is what we hope to achieve.
6) The biggest challenge that we will face is having the city of troy, businesses as well as school
systems to all join in the movement of installing these water systems. Along with expenses and
the discussion of how this would go about, there hopefully would not be many challemeges but
getting organizations and councils to take part are the biggest challenges.
7) We will need the town council committee as well as representatives from businesses as well as
the school. Any leader in any position of authority in these councils as well as committee would
need to be on board of what we would be doing in the city of Troy and hopefully in all
businesses as well as school systems. It would be a great help if someone such as the mayor of
Troy was on board with us and supported this movement as well as the president of a school in
Troy such as Shirley Ann Jackson at RPI.