Free refilling stations

And you get water, and you get water, and you get water!

Introduction
Around the world, more than one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute. By using a reusable water bottle, you could prevent an average of 156 plastic bottles from filling our oceans annually. Not only that but in Mexico’s hot weather, you need to drink water all day, every day to stay healthy. Do the math, you could save a quick 3.210 pesos, just by gulping less plastic and feeling more fantastic.

However, it isn’t that simple. Because Mexico’s tap water isn’t safe to drink (if you don’t like stomach aches, that is), most people use either a personal well, rainwater, or - the most used option - plastic bottles. Especially in cities and towns, there usually isn’t a plastic-free way to use a reusable option, even if you wanted to. If you need to buy plastic bottles to refill your reusable bottle, it (kind of) defeats the purpose.

Menos Plástico Es Fantastico’s solution? Give the people access to free water refilling stations! And not just one or two. Everywhere around town, in shops, hotels, bars, and as far as we’re concerned, there’s no more excuse to buy into that plastic problem. Free the bottle, man! We’re in a rapid reusable revolution!

Reusable bottle vs. store-bought bottle
Did you know it takes crude oil to create plastic? And did you know it takes about a quarter of a plastic bottle’s content worth of oil… to create that very bottle? Yearly, the U.S.A. needs 17 million barrels of oil to make one year’s supply of bottled water. That’s the equivalent of powering 1.3 million cars - for a year.

It doesn’t stop there. The climate impact of buying one single-use, throwaway plastic bottle, is the same as charging your phone 32 times. And that’s without the transportation costs to get it to your local store, the time it sits in that refrigerator and the time it takes to degrade in the landfill. Well, you get the picture.

Finally, have you heard of BPA’s? BPA stands for Bisphenol A, a chemical used in the process of making certain plastics, like water bottles. Big deal, right?! Well… BPA’s can seep into the water contents after the first - but more likely after multiple uses - of a plastic water bottle. There, they get all cozy into your body, or, more generally speaking, your reproductive organs. Because BPA’s have been shown to diminish reproductive function. Sorry for bursting your bubble. Literally.
A reusable bottle might set you back some money, but research shows that the average cost of water per person is high enough that, if you do the math, you could save that much in just two months after buying the bottle. Why? Because the real kicker: the cost of bottled water isn’t the water… 90% is the bottle itself. Oil is pretty expensive, y’know!

So, the next time you’re at the store, give a long, angry look at those plastic bottles in the back. And then walk out, being the cool user of a stylish reusable bottle, that’s healthy and free of BPA’s (and you know what that means).

How much water should we drink?
Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 50% to 70% of your body weight. Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly. For example, water gets rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements, keeps your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, and protects sensitive tissues. Lack of water can lead to dehydration — a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine, and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a warm climate need?
● About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
● About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women

These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages, and food. About 20% of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks. That’s more than three plastic bottles a day!

Single-use plastics
The weight of the problem with plastics isn’t necessarily that all plastics are bad (even though they’re not good either). But the devil is in the details: single-use plastics, like straws, bottles, throwaway cutlery, plates, food wrapping, packaging, microplastics in cosmetic products, plastic flyers and marketing materials, medicinal products, and many, many more, are the biggest stream of unnecessary plastic pollution in our landfills and oceans. And because they’re single-use, we keep producing more. Why? Because more often than not, producing MORE plastic is ever so slightly cheaper than recycling.

Ever since plastic’s introduction in the 1950s, it’s been coined as a “wonder material”. Of course, having an easy-to-produce, flexible, lightweight, and strong product is something that we get a lot of value from. Especially in a lot of appliances, computers, machines, and a lot of other industrial innovations that have made our lives easier, faster, and more convenient. And research says that if a plastic object is used for multiple years, the polluting factors reduce drastically - like for instance, a reusable water bottle.

But because we have taken this “wonder” for granted, we’ve started using plastic for the wrong reasons. And the consequence? To live with plastic-filled oceans, heaps and heaps of trash in our landfills, a drain of our fossil fuels, and, even, plastic in our animals, earth, and our own bellies. Who’s going to take responsibility? It’s time to make a change: stop single-use, and get into durable design.

Benefits of reusable bottles
Hey, and another great benefit of reusable water bottles? They can keep your drinks colder for longer periods. Disposable plastic bottles are not very effective at insulating your drinks, which means that they will quickly become warm, which can often make the water taste bad. This is especially beneficial in hot weather conditions, like in Mexico. You want to have a cold, refreshing drink with you at all times, right?

What's more, contrary to popular belief, there is no metallic taste in your water when you use a stainless steel water bottle. Reusable water bottles don't rust or corrode even after prolonged exposure, so the water tastes clean and fresh. In fact, many people prefer the taste of water in stainless steel water bottles to that of bottled water, even in cooler conditions.

Still don’t like it? We’ve got options! There are all kinds of reusable bottles these days, from stainless glass to aluminum, to stainless steel… even wood! We think a reusable water bottle is an accessory necessity to get your drip going. Or, in old people’s talk: it’s hip to be square.

Twenty-five refills
Right now, the Menos Plastico’s Free Refilling Station project has launched twenty-five refilling stations everywhere in Mahahual, from the Casitas to Fifty-Five and, of course, the Malecon. Really, it’s hard to not spot them. If you’re ever in a thirsty mood (and aren’t we all), you sure don’t have to look far to get your refilling fill.

The water is free, of course. Like all water should be, right? We’re working together with store owners, businessmen, and large corporations alike to keep providing the water necessary for the community of Mahahual and use less plastic as a whole.

And we want more, more more! If you feel inspired, thirsty, or just in a compassionate mood, feel free to contact us about options to help your hotel guests, customers, or community workers be refreshed and refilled all day long. We’re here to help if you’re willing to make a change for a future that includes clean beaches and less plastic.

Water is a human right
According to the United Nations, water (and sanitation) is a human right – fundamental to everyone’s health, dignity, and prosperity. However, billions of people are still living without safely managed water and sanitation, or are hard-pressed and forced to buy commercial water to get themselves surviving and going.

The water right entitles everyone to have access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use. The right to sanitation entitles everyone to have physical and affordable access to sanitation, in all spheres of life, that is safe, hygienic, secure, and socially and culturally acceptable and that provides privacy and ensures dignity. Physical presence is not the same as access. A water or sanitation service does not serve the whole community if it is too expensive, unreliable, unhygienic, unsafely located, or unadapted for less able groups or children.

Let’s make one thing clear: we want to care for our community as a whole. That means working together to give everyone access to the simple things: water and a clean world.