Greenovations: Elkay Manufacturing Company – EZH2O Bottle Filling Station

If you’ve spent any time in Washington D.C. recently, you may have noticed posters at any number of restaurants around the city advertising “Free Water Bottle Refills on the go…”  This marketing campaign is the result of a partnership between DC Water and TapIt to provide free, public access to anyone out and about needing to refill their water bottle in an effort to save money and protect the environment by reducing the approximately 88% of plastic bottles, which are not recycled and end up as trash or litter.  Such is an important undertaking as bottled water consumption has increased by more than 53% over the past decade according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.  So how can those of us who do not reside in Washington D.C. adopt such practices at more localized levels?  Elkay Manufacturing Company has provided an answer in the form of their EZH2O Bottle Filling Station line of offerings.  According to their website, the “EZH2O bottle filling station provides convenient hydration, reduces our dependency on plastic water bottles, provides a rapid fill water to quench thirst and help minimize disposable plastic bottle waste in the environment.”

Introduced in February of 2010, Elkay has sold or shipped more than 1,500 units since their launch.  The EZH2O Bottle Filling Station is offered in a wide variety of formats including retro-fit units (to be added to existing water fountains), surface mounted units, in-wall units, vandal resistant bottle filler units, outdoor bottle filler units, and bottle filler, water fountain combination units with the option for refrigerated units and non-refrigerated units.  With a fill rate ranging from 1.1 gallon per minute (gpm) for refrigerated units to 1.5 gpm for non-refrigerated units, the bottle filling stations are 3 times faster than traditional drinking fountains.  The EZH2O utilizes an electronic sensor to provide one-handed touchless, sanitary operation for quick refills, and each of Elkay’s Bottle Filling Stations come with a digital readout containing their innovative Green Ticker, which counts the quantity of bottles saved from the waste stream through its use.  The EZH2O Bottle Filling Stations are “ideal for education, healthcare facilities, fitness clubs, and hospitality.”

To learn more about today’s Greenovation, visit www.elkay.com.

Written by Rob Stanfield – The Green Register