Think outside the bottle

Although+Boxed+Water+is+slightly+more+expensive+than+the+bottled+water+in+the+cafeteria%2C+the+new+addition+is+much+better+for+the+environment.+%28Photo+credit%3A+Katherine+Colleran%29

Although Boxed Water is slightly more expensive than the bottled water in the cafeteria, the new addition is much better for the environment. (Photo credit: Katherine Colleran)

Water. It makes up 70 percent of the human body and, coincidentally,
covers about the same percentage of Earth’s surface. Because the
planet provides this vital resource for humans, many– like Boxed Water
CEO Benjamin Gott– believe people have the responsibility to care for
the planet.

Publicly launched in Grand Rapids, MI in 2009, Boxed Water aims to
deliver water in a more environmentally friendly manner. The company
states that 76 percent of its packaging is made from trees– a
renewable resource– and the boxes are shipped flat to reduce the
carbon footprint.

Mercy began to sell Boxed Water for $1.25 in the cafeteria in late
September. Since then, it has been gaining popularity among Mercy
girls. Some, like junior Sara McDade, enjoy the taste of Boxed Water
and support the company’s goals.

“It’s very clean,” she said.

Junior Vivienne Greenleaf is also an advocate for Boxed Water and
first heard about the company nearly five years ago.

“I think that the taste is really good and better than
bottled water,” she said.

Greenleaf believes that boxed water could eventually become
more popular than bottled water.

In addition to buying Boxed Water, Mercy girls can help the
environment in other ways. Boxed Water teamed up with two
organizations– the National Forest Foundation and 1% for the Planet–
for the ReTree project. The companies have pledged to plant two trees
for each Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook post tagged with “#ReTree”.
This is a simple way to make a big impact on the world, and people are
definitely taking notice. As of now, over 73,630 trees are scheduled
to be planted in Deschutes National Forest in Oregon. The partners
hope to plant one million trees by 2020.