Benton Harbor offers recycling program for bottled water

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. - For months, Benton Harbor has been passing out free water bottles to get residents safe drinking water. But what happens to all that plastic?

Residents can drop off their empty plastic water bottles at the water distribution site located at Benton Harbor High School.

“What we’ve set up is sort of a one-stop shop where when residents come in to get new water for the week or come here for their new pick up of water.” Said Dashuna Robinson, the project coordinator for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

“They actually can bring their clear bottles back to us. Our host organization then takes those bottles and we have a recycling trailer that is there at the site.”

More than 5,000 thousand pounds of empty water bottles have been recycled through the water bottle recycling program located at Benton Harbor High School.

The program started in December and is offered daily during water distribution hours. So far, the city is on its fourth trailer, after filling up three with recycled empty bottles. Since September, the city has distributed over 10.5 million bottles of water. Robinson said the initiative is in place as a way to be environmentally conscious. 

“We want to ensure that we have an initiative and a process in place. So, that individuals can ensure that the bottles are recycled. So, we can be ensuring that we are not only taking care of ourselves, but the environment around us as well,” Robinson said.

You can find more more information on the Benton Harbor Water Bottle Recycling Program and more dates for water distribution here. If you need to arrange a water delivery  to homebound residents contact 211 or (844) 875-9211.