By Julia Marnin

In the age of high consumerism and industrial production, recycling is extremely important in keeping a safe and sustainable environment. So many products that could be recycled end up being carelessly thrown into the trash. Freshman TCNJ Special Education and Psychology major, Celina D’Alto, hates when she watches people throw away plastic water bottles into a trash can when there is a recycling bin nearby. “I watch people throw away plastic water bottles where they shouldn’t go all the time,” she said. “Students should stop drinking plastic water bottles altogether!”

D’Alto’s opinion on not drinking from plastic water bottles at all is a great one. She constantly uses a reusable one. All students at TCNJ should pick up her habits as well as people worldwide. There are many positives that come from not drinking or buying plastic water bottles.

TCNJ provides every student’s dorm with a recycling bin and a trash can. However, as D’Alto complained, not everyone utilizes the recycling bin. Even if the water bottles are recycled, students never know where they actually go. Plastic water bottles are not bio-degradable or good for the environment. Only later, if mass use of plastic water bottles continues, will the environmental effects on them be seen. The plastic can get into the ground and pollute future drinking water from free sources.

Plastic water bottles are not always the healthiest options. The plastic used to make them contains toxins. These toxins can be released if the plastic becomes too hot or the bottles are unopened for a long time. After being told those facts, freshman business major Marisa Giordano said “No wonder there is an expiration date on water bottles! That can’t be healthy.”

Water is everyone’s natural right to have, given that most of our bodies are composed of water. There are free water sources all over TCNJ’s campus such as water fountains. The student dining hall has filtered water stations outside its entrance. There, students are seen constantly refilling their reused water bottles. Why pay for one time use plastic water bottles time after time when you can pay once for a reusable one?

“The water bottles here are so expensive!” complains sophomore Criminology major Kayla Mahns. Plastic water bottles are sold all over campus in locations such as the library, C-Store, Lion’s den and more. They are sold for at least a dollar more than their normal price in a store outside of campus. There is absolutely no need to pay for something that you should rightly have for free. Corporations are making large profits off of bottling water and selling it when there are many free options to get water. If all TCNJ students stopped using plastic water bottles, it would put a dent in the corporation’s profit who sells them. “I still buy plastic water bottles on campus but I’m getting tired of wasting all of my points on them,” Mahns said.

Kyle Bailey, a freshmen Criminology major, said “I just stick to plastic water because I don’t trust what is in the water in the campus water fountains.” Although the campus water is entirely drinkable, there are ways to purify water if that is a student’s worry. There are many water filters sold in stores that you can buy and keep in your dorm. Even though it may cost some money, in the end it will be less than constantly spending money on plastic water bottles.

If all students stopped drinking plastic water bottles, it could be a small movement that turns into a large one. Colleges all over would be inspired to stop drinking plastic water bottles also. Change has to begin somewhere.