FIVE BIG WINS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Trash out of the Streets

With many places around the world lacking trash collection or disposal systems, building a bottle school offers the participating community – and surrounding communities that aid in trash collection and bottle stuffing – an incentive to clean their streets to provide a cleaner and healthier environment, with less contamination, healthier people and more attractive surroundings.

Trash out of the Air

In many communities, trash collected in homes is burned outside and at times even inside the home in open wood- burning stoves, creating toxic fumes inhaled by family members and contaminating air supply for neighbors, as well as producing greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming.

Trash out of the Water

A large percentage of trash finds its way into river systems, washing massive amounts of waste out to sea and onto beaches,

affecting the livelihoods of thousands dependent on fishing and tourism, and also adding to the large-scale garbage problem in our oceans.

Trash out of the Land

Plastics and other waste can leach chemicals into the earth, affecting groundwater and soil quality. Many bottle schools are built in agricultural communities, which could suffer badly because of this.

Helping Animals Avoid Trash

Plastic bags, cups and other containers are often eaten by animals, who like the smell and taste of whatever was in the plastic before. Cats, dogs, goats, cows – all these animals have been known to eat toxic plastic, which stays in their stomachs until they die. Plastic that washes out to oceans also harms sealife. Turtles and seabirds are the most affected, and thousands die every year because of plastic trash in the ocean.