Celeste Digiovanni is a Masters of Sociology student at the University of Ottawa. On the way to her first class, she decided to stop and buy a bottle of water. She discovered that bottled water was banned on campus many years ago and wanted to understand why.
In doing her research, Celeste learned of the negative environmental, economic and ethical implications behind bottled water. She was conflicted as- like most other Canadians- she wanted to satisfy her immediate access to potable water while maintaining her ethical standards.
This led to the creation of a portable, sustainable and economical alternative: the H2Ottawa bottle. The bottle is made of aluminum, which is infinitely recyclable unlike plastic which is recycled in less than 20 percent of cases. The product will be sold in vending machines at the same price one would expect to pay for a disposable water bottle, $3.00. H2Ottawa bottles are refillable and reusable; as practical and accessible as your average plastic bottle (with perks)!
Celeste hopes to raise accessibility to portable water while maintaining values of sustainability: economic benefit, social good and environmental conservation. Her goal is to bring this project to other universities, colleges and even businesses. She plans to donate profits to organizations defending our physical environment, and protecting our fundamental right to drinking water.
Read the story: Defending the right to water a bottle at a time
A few interesting stats on potable water in Canada
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