Water Without Waste’s founders from left to right: Elma Borbe with Sound Transit, Shauna Causey with Comcast, Felicia Kline with WaMu, and Paul Whyatt with Weyerhaeuser stand with Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin (center, seated) as he signs the Water without Waste pledge.
Since Water Without Waste kicked off its cut-your-plastic-water-bottle-use campaign earlier this spring (we told you about it after an Alki Community Council presentation in March), they’ve gotten pledges equivalent to 20,000 fewer water bottles. Here’s the full announcement:

20,000 PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES REDUCED IN MAY THROUGH LOCAL CAMPAIGN

Water Without Waste (WWW), a grassroots campaign to reduce the use of plastic disposable water bottles in Washington State, has received pledges from individuals and organizations committing to reduce a total of 20,000 plastic disposable water bottles during the month of May, the group announced today. The goal of the campaign is to permanently reduce landfill waste, pollution, energy consumption and position our region as a global leader in neighborhood sustainability.

The group has been raising awareness and asking individuals, companies, non-profits and government officials to sign a pledge committing to reduce the use of plastic water bottles and instead use tap or filtered water. In signing the pledge, each person or group committed to reduce a specified amount throughout the month of May. Spreading the word through neighborhood meetings, city governments, schools, and events including the Seattle Green Festival, Phinney EcoVillage Festival and the Sustainable West Seattle Fair, the campaign has secured 3,000 individual pledges, and received pledges from sports organizers, organizations and major companies including Comcast to commit to reducing the use of plastic disposable water bottles for events and functions.

The campaign, which started in March 2008 by a group of eight business and non-profit leaders, culminates this month with the Seattle City Council and Kirkland City Council deeming May as “Water Without Waste Month.”

From a water policy expert…“The total amount of energy embedded in our use of bottled water—the energy to produce, fill, transport, chill, and dispose of the bottles—can be as high as the equivalent of filling each plastic bottle one quarter full with oil.” Peter Gleick, Co-founder and President, www.pacinst.org

From one of the campaign’s leaders… “As a sustainable-focused group, we realized the easiest way we could make a difference in Seattle was by focusing on one issue: reducing the growing trend of using disposable plastic water bottles. Our municipal water systems are some of the best in the world yet we’re using more plastic disposable water bottles than ever before—filling up our landfills and recycling centers at alarming rates. We’re literally sending millions of water bottles straight to the landfill and it’s a matter of education to change our behaviors,” said Paul Whyatt, one of the members of Water without Waste.

From a company… “After hearing about this campaign from one of our employees who is also a member of this campaign, we signed the pledge immediately and started making steps to reduce plastic disposable water bottles. It’s the right thing to do,” said Jan Wachholz, Comcast Director and ‘green team’ leader in the company. After signing the Water without Waste pledge, we bought reusable water bottles for each employee and are phasing out the use of plastic disposable water bottles within the company for meetings and events. Last Saturday, during our Comcast Cares Day 2,000-person volunteer event, we saved a few thousand disposable plastic water bottles. It’s amazing to think that, as a company, we can make that kind of a difference on a single day and throughout the year.”

Stats on disposable plastic water bottle usage:

* 4 million water bottles are used each day in Washington State
* 3.2 million of those end up in landfills
* 1,000: the number of years it takes for a plastic water bottle to biodegrade
* 2400: bottled water is 2400 times more expensive then tap water
* 25 percent of bottled water sold is simply re-processed municipal city water

*all statistics based on national data, Pacinst.org

What can each of us do?

* Save an average of 350 water bottles per year that would end up in the landfill or recycling center, by not using disposable bottled water.

* Encourage others to use tap water, a filter on the faucet, and a reusable bottle or large jug.

* Ask your company not to serve bottled water in meetings or during company events.

On a semi-related note, West Seattle’s Most Famous Politician expanded his anti-bottled-water campaign today.