Plastic Oceans International, a nonprofit solving plastic pollution, implemented Rethink.Refill. in three Mesa Public Schools: Crismon Elementary, Ida Redbird Elementary and Washington Elementary.

Rethink.Refill. empowers youth, prevents plastic pollution and delivers clean drinking water to underserved schools worldwide.

The program provides water refilling stations and reusable bottles to teach students about plastic waste. They participate in a solution, eliminating single-use plastic from the waste stream.

“Crismon Elementary feels blessed to have received a water refilling station, which we placed in the multipurpose room, where every student has physical education, and breakfast and lunch are served daily,” said Sandi Kuhn, Principal, Crismon Elementary. “We are planning a contest inviting Kindergarten to first-grade students to draw a picture about recycling, and second to sixth-grade students to write about recycling, where the winning entries will receive a reusable water bottle. Our water refilling station complements several school activities where our students help the environment, and reducing plastic pollution is another way the students can give back to make the world a better place.”

Rethink.Refill. offers a quantifiable way to track how much plastic pollution students prevent from entering the environment.

“Plastic pollution affects everyone, regardless of socioeconomic standing, and Rethink.Refill. levels the playing field,” said Julie Andersen, Global Executive Director, Plastic Oceans International. “By reaching underserved communities, more youth are better equipped to evaluate plastic usage, affect change, and improve upon solutions from an early age. Education and data are a powerful combination empowering our next generation to teach and demonstrate solving the plastic waste crisis.”

Photo: Washington Elementary student fills bottle at new water refilling station (Tim Hacker/Mesa Public Schools)

About: plasticoceans.org/rethink-refill