MBUSD eliminates the sale of single-use plastic water bottles
by Hibah Samad
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has officially eliminated the sale of single-use plastic water bottles, an initiative started in 2019 when MBUSD first removed small plastic water bottles from elementary schools.
MBUSD Food and Nutrition Services Department Director Léna Agee said this further step towards environmental sustainability has long been a goal for MBUSD.
Agee said the initiative will eliminate an estimated 140,000 single-use plastic water bottles per school year.
“It’s truly gratifying to announce that MBUSD no longer sells single-use plastic water bottles,” Agee said. “This achievement reflects the Department and District’s commitment to sustainability and sets a positive example for our students and the community.”
In 2019, Léna also helped to implement eco-friendly options at MBMS and Mira Costa High School, with staff and students having the opportunity to purchase water in aluminum bottles to reduce the sale of plastic bottles. But post-pandemic, the endeavor at all school sites was put on hold due to costs.
“The path to achieving this goal has taken lots of innovative thinking and planning, as there were some inevitable challenges hindering our ability to achieve this in previous years,” Agee said. “I’m thrilled to have this initiative come to life now for the 2023 school year and beyond,”
Beginning on November 28, MBUSD cafeterias and food carts replaced plastic water bottles district-wide with cardboard and aluminum bottles. Achieving this goal was part of an effort that involved Agee and her department, as well as the District’s Green Committee, which is comprised of the MBUSD Board of Trustees, representatives from each school, and staff members from the district’s Maintenance and Operations department, the City of Manhattan Beach, and Waste Management.
Green Committee Chair Chrissie Clay said that eliminating plastic water bottles is part of the committee’s overarching vision.
“I am thrilled that Léna has been able to help get the District back on track in terms of our single-use plastic reduction efforts,” Clay said. “There is simply no need for single-use plastic water bottles; we all have reusable bottles, and there are hydration stations on every campus where students can fill those up as needed.”
Beyond reducing the District’s carbon footprint, Agee emphasized that eliminating plastic water bottle use aligns with MBUSD’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
“Plastic pollution is a pressing issue, and we wanted to take decisive action to reduce our ecological footprint and promote responsible consumption,” she said. “As a member of the South Bay community, I share the love of our beautiful environment. On the MBUSD Green Committee, we constantly discuss the importance of this issue, so of course, this was a top priority to achieve by the end of the year.”
“If and when kids do need to buy water, the metal bottles are a great option,” Clay said. “To the extent they are more expensive than plastic, I think that is fine because it will make the consumer think twice and, next time, pack a reusable bottle.”
MBUSD has had a Green Committee since 2014. Earlier this year, students from MBMS also targeted plastic water bottle use and its negative environmental impact. In collaboration with MBMS Green Committee representative Caroline Graeff, and students from the MBMS Surfrider Foundation Chapter championed the Green Committee to end single-use plastic water bottle use. The club is led by the District’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, Manhattan Beach Middle School science teacher Niel Leonard.
The MBMS Surfrider Foundation Chapter.
Robyn Murphy, the Grades of Green manager and an MBUSD parent, has witnessed the initiative’s progress throughout the years.
“Manhattan Beach students have been advocating to reduce single-use plastics in the city and district for years, supported and empowered by Grades of Green and other non-profits,” Murphy said. “This is an issue that has been at the forefront of their environmental goals for the district because of the harmful impacts that plastics have on our oceans and natural spaces.”
Manhattan Beach Unified has also increased the number of filtered hydration stations for students to use refillable water bottles to more than forty across all its campuses.
The Food and Nutrition Services Department has already implemented other sustainability practices. This school year, the department switched from supplying single-use plastic utensils served with meals to wooden utensils. They also introduced Meatless Mondays in an effort to continue existing vegetarian menu selections and foster more environmentally conscious eating habits for the well-being of the planet.
MBUSD sets ambitious sustainability goals that align with the City of Manhattan Beach. The City in 2008 was one of the first to ban plastic bag use, and later banned use of polystyrene food service ware and single-use plastic straws and utensils. Agee said she hopes the District’s initiatives inspire more districts to take similar steps. She has already helped other school districts launch their own sustainability initiatives.
Agee said the District has also been mindful of reducing food waste through careful meal planning, portion control, and separating organic waste from landfill waste.
MBUSD has long taken pride in being a Green District. Over the past year, gardens across the district have thrived, with students and staff learning about nutrition and sustainability. Students have harvested fresh produce, and this year alone, there have already been two harvests that have made their way to the school cafeterias as part of the District’s Garden-to-Cafe program. That program is led by one of the sub-committees of the MBUSD Green Committee, the School Garden Committee.
Meadows Elementary student-gardners are growing food that will eventually make it to the school cafeteria as part of MBUSD’s Garden-to-Cafe program. Photo courtesy of MBUSD.
“Together, we have created the Garden-to-Cafe Program and plan on serving produce grown in the school gardens in our salad bars and student meals,” Agee said. “This is a very special and exciting initiative that we look forward to cultivating in the coming years.” ER