Outpost Natural Foods Co-Op aims to reduce single-use plastic starting with water bottles

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative is urging shoppers, “Don’t Buy this Water Bottle - Buy this Bottle Instead” as part of a new instore and online education program aimed at reducing the purchase and use of single-use plastic.

During an average year, Outpost shoppers have purchased 47,000 single-use 16-ounce plastic bottles of water. Worldwide, more than one million plastic water bottles are used every minute. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86% of all disposable plastic water bottles in the U.S. become garbage or litter, adding 38 billion disposable water bottles annually into landfills or as pollution.

“Together we can change that with one simple action, stop buying single-use plastic bottles,” said Outpost’s Margaret Mittlestadt, Director of Community Relations. “Why not other bottled beverages? Because single-use bottle water is the easiest path forward. Most times, the water in these bottles simply originates from the municipal tap. What you’re buying is the convenience of carrying it from the store and then disposing of the bottle.”

Instead, Outpost is encouraging shoppers to buy its Eco-smart multi-use refillable water bottle made from 50% post-consumer plastic. Available at Outpost’s four area locations, shoppers can refill their Outpost or other reusable bottle at any tap or use Outpost’s reverse osmosis water island for just 15 cents per refill.

According to Super Market News, bottled water as a beverage set a total volume record of 15.7 billion gallons in 2021. Each American drank 47 gallons of bottled water last year.

“The answer isn’t more single-use plastic water bottles, it’s less,” Mittlestadt says. “We can get there if we all agree to consider the positive effect reusable water bottles can have on our environment and in our communities. A little bit of mindfulness can go a long way!”

Outpost’s Don’t Buy This Water Bottle effort launches just in time for Plastic Free July, a global movement to reduce plastics waste and pollution during the month and beyond. Click here to see ways, offered by Outpost, to purge plastic.

The co-op has earned national honors for its bold actions to address pollution and climate change including their goal to eliminate petroleum-based plastic packaging and consumables. Learn more about Outpost’s environmental stewardship in its latest Sustainability Report.


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