San Francisco International Airport has banned the sale of single use plastic water bottles in another effort to become zero waste by 2021. San Francisco has been viewed in the past as being radical and this ban is no different as many people are viewing it as another bold move made by the city.

The airport has banned the sale of plastic water bottles but is still allowing the sale of other beverages that are sold in plastic bottles like juice and flavored water. Critics of this have stated that this is inconvenient for travelers but the Daily Wire stated, “ As NBC News reports, 58 million passengers go through SF International each year; 10,000 single use bottles are sold there every day, amounting to four million every year.” The ban of single use plastic water bottles will significantly lower this number and I believe it is a large step in the right direction. California has the platform and the resources to lead the world to a cleaner future and the ban of plastic water bottles at the San Francisco Airport is just the beginning. An article by the Washington Post stated, “Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said airport administrators believe it is the first to put such a ban in place, though they are hearing from officials at other airports who are interested in making the same move. He said the hope is that more will follow suit.” This ban could be the beginning of something bigger and I think California is the right place for it to start.

Many people also ridiculed the ban that was put on plastic straws but that has gained momentum on both social media as well as restaurants and other establishments that span far past California. The goal of becoming a zero waste airport may seem like a ridiculous and impossible task until it has been done and accomplished and then we will most likely see more businesses following the example set by the  San Francisco Airport. Yakel also stated in the Washington Post that there are more than one hundred free stations to fill up your reusable water bottle at so there is no reason why anyone should be going thirsty or even be forced to purchase water at the airport. The move to ban single use plastic water bottles not only will make a large environmental impact but it also saves people money because they don’t have to purchase water at the airport. This ban may seem extreme but bold actions have never scared away californians and our efforts to reduce our footprint.