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Courtesy of Chicago Department of Aviation
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport has installed a beverage collection station so that travelers can empty a water bottle and then refill it on the other side of the security checkpoint.
When Heather Snodgrass flies she likes to stay well-hydrated. But she’d rather not add to landfills by buying bottled water at the airport. “I usually see water fountains, but prefer to have a supply of water with me rather than take multiple trips back to a fountain.”
So in preparation for her next trip, Snodgrass asked Overhead Bin: “Can you travel with an empty bottle, such as sports top bottle, and refill it at water fountains past the TSA checkpoints? I want to avoid losing a great water bottle.”
The short answer is yes.
In fact, many airports around the country are actively encouraging travelers to bring their own empty water bottles along, in part because it’s time-consuming and expensive to cart away all those full or half-full bottles, cans and cups that passengers discard at the security checkpoints.
Chicago's O’Hare International Airport and a growing number of other airports around the country are installing beverage collection stations at the checkpoints to try to cut down on what gets carted off to landfills. “Travelers can pour beverages into the drains and keep the bottles,” said Steve Johnson of Oregon’s Portland International Airport.
For travelers like Snodgrass, who want to make sure they can find a place to fill a water bottle post-security, airports such as San Francisco International Airport and Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports are also installing special water bottle refill stations.
SFO has four “hydration stations,” and Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports each have two. (The Midway stations are at the entrance to concourses A and B; at O’Hare they are in Terminal 2.) The hands-free, sensor-activated stations at O’Hare also have counters that have been tallying the number of 16-ounce bottles diverted from landfills.
“Together, the two stations at O'Hare have saved 220,717 bottles,” since their installation in June and July 2010, said Gregg Cunningham of the Chicago Department of Aviation.
Have a travel-related pet peeve or a question you’d like answered? Overhead Bin will track it down. Send us your question.
Other stories you might like
- Q&A: Dealing with loud talkers on airplanes
- Q&A: Flying with your pet in the cabin
- Q&A: When your child flies alone
Find more by Harriet Baskas on Stuck at The Airport.com and follow her on Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
Well, maybe they need to tell the airline employees. My husband and I went through security with empty re-usable plastic cups with no problem. When we got to the gate, we filled our cups at the water fountain. When boarding the plane, the gate agent for JetBlue said we were not allowed to board with our cups. We had to go back to the water fountain and empty them. She then questioned us again when we came back with the empty cups. I had to turn my cup upside down to prove there was nothing in it.
Melissa,
Do you recognize the problem with your comment?
What the TSA allows and what the airlines allow do not need to be the same.
An airline can decide to allow or not allow whatever it wants in the cabin of its own plane.
There is also the problem that you had cups and not resealable bottles.
No open beverage containers are allowed during take off and landing, per FAA regulations.
No one wants to be wearing your beverage.
Ooops, sorry, I forgot about all the know-it-alls on here who have nothing better to do then point out FAA regulations!! I left out some important details: the cups have tops that seal so I would not consider that an open beverage, and we were allowed to use them on another JetBlue flight. I was just venting. My bad.
Yes, you are right.
When you right a comment and fail to provide enough information to your readers, then people will simply work on the information you give.
But, the fact remains that a crew is allowed to ask you to dump a cup regardless.
Bingo Melissa,and this one is a know it all who knows exactly nothing!Right Cass?
TSA is a cancer on our Constitutional Rights, it has not done anything to increase our security.
TSA should be closed immediately so its employees can return to their jobs of bagging groceries and thereby add something positive to society .
STOP FUNDING AND CLOSE THE "TSA".
Bingo Close the Fed!
It is not a healthy practice to refill these disposable water bottles especially since they do not get cleansed in between. A bottle that is more permanent and run through the dishwasher would be fine.
Even the people at Nestle's Water (Poland Springs and other brands) say it is safe to refill an empty plastic water bottle a couple of times before there's even a remote possibilty of a health risk. So if you've just finished a store bought bottle there's nothing wrong with refilling it during your trip.
That's funny because Poland Spring's website disagrees with your comment.
Under the "Safety and Handling" section:
"We recommend that our water bottles be recycled, not reused...
Our single serve bottles are not intended for multiple uses since PET plastic can break down form repeated washings and reuse, eventually allowing human bacteria into the contents. Instead we recommend that the bottles be used once and then recycled"
They don't want you to reuse the bottles so much that they say it twice!
I guess you believe everything a company tells you that will make you buy more of their product. Good for you.
Don't mind Cassivella, she thinks she's always right.Right Cass?
She can quote you anything and everything you want to hear!She's a Genius!
No, I don't buy bottled water at all.
I bring stainless steel water bottles with me when I travel and fill them at the SkyClub bar.
But I do have a problem with people pulling comments out of their asses when the facts are easy to find.
Especially when someone's comment could be detrimental to another person's health.
And, there you go again, Gloria, with your useless inflammatory comments. This isn't middle school, although I realize you never matured past that point. Everyone, if you hit "no value" enough times, she will go away.
Where ever there's an airplane you'll find Cass!
What's the matter can't take people criticizing you?I'd say as far as maturity is concerned,maybe I didn't get passed middle school,however,you never got passed kindergarten.
You're comments are overbearing,inflammatory, and I'll go the extra mile and say insulting.Hell you talk about me?If you don't get your point across, you pitch a fit.You're condecending.
I may have a strong approach when posting, but if I see if somebody has a point,I usually agree with them.You on the other hand have got to get your dumb point across even if hell freezes over, whether the person is right wrong good bad or indifferent, ya gotta get across.
We're not infallible Cass, get that through your thick head.
One word describes you Cass. OVER BEARING!
Gloria, you are a troll.
You exist solely to post reactionary comments to people actually discussing the topic at hand and call people idiots.
I have no problem with people disagreeing with me. In fact, that is an essential part of debate.
However, your posts don't constitute debate as you never actually post any facts or evidence to back up your opinions.
You simply go to every newsvine forum and post comments ridiculing other posters and telling them they are wrong and yelling nonsensical hallucinations.
While other people post factual information and citations of where they found their info, you simply scream and call people names for them bothering to put thought into their posts.
Contribute to the discussion, for once in your life.
Sorry but you do have a problem! Your BS about factual citations are full of moth holes.You like to cherry pick certain facts that agree with your agenda!
I don't call people idiots.I don't call individual people idiots, because you know why? I'd get thrown off of here.So I avoid that.I may call a group of people idiots,if I don't agree with their agenda and it's pathetically stupid.What the hell you think I'm going to do kiss them.Give me a freaken break.
Like you ms. perfect have never called anyone an idiot during a conversation.!Give me a break.
Yeah. You call groups of people idiots and "goons" and then incite other people to physically assault them.
That's why you are a bigot, and that is why your ignorance is dangerous.
Goons?You bet your ass I call them Goons.You know who I'm talking about.I'm a biggot and they're the Gestapo,so guess what?We're on an even playing field!
By the way i think your interpretation of a biggot is just a tad off.
No not me dangerous,I'd say the Goons are more dangerous.This has nothing whatsoever to do with ignorance.This has to do with seeing past the Bull Shi t!
Cass & Gloria -- you do realize you sound like little kids on the playground????? Grow up. You should have outgrown name calling in say, elementary school.
Aw don't mind us we've had this war going for about a week.I'll wrap it up though,I gotta go!
Who started it, anyway?
I think that it is pretty obvious from this thread.
Obvious is right.Just giving her a dose of her own medicine.
She's is tough and so are you Gloria. But you're both good spirits and I believe you act from your hearts. Thats a good thing. I hate political correct bull@!$%#. I see no problem slugging it out and moving on. Only words here.
Thanks JM.You're a good Soul.
Some airline employees will let you but some won't. I've even seen security agents who insisted that people discard completely empty water bottles before they'll allow them through security.
I've done it multiple times with reusable aluminum bottles and never had any problems.
I bring my sport-water bottle from home and ask the bartender at the gate-side pub to fill it. They're very accommodating and will even put ice in it. I've never had a flight attendant tell me to empty a water bottle before getting on a plane.
I have had hit and miss reactions from TSA. Twice I have been told I needed to dispose of the completely empty water bottle I had on my back pack even after I told them that it was recommended on TSA's own web site. Four or five other times I've had no issues.
I started doing that a few years back when taking the red eye home from Phoenix. That time of night none of the stores were open so you couldn't get anything to drink while waiting. TSA has never given me any grief over it as they are only supposed to be concerned with liquids in it. Even now that a store is open, I still do it and save $3. Water from the fountain is just as good and better for the environment!
Unfortunately the airlines pay off too many congress critters for a tough airline passengers Bill of Rights to be passed.
Just before boarding a flight to the US some airports have a final security check and won't allow water in any container. All carry-on is inspected. I've encountered this coming back from China, Hong Kong, Costa Rica.
I had already gone through customs, purchased a full bottle of water in plain view of the carry on checkers and they made me throw away the entire liter bottle in Ireland.
They (TSA, Baggage checkers) know full well that there is a very small likelihood of finding any type of "banned" substance in water bottles. If they did, they wouldn't let you pour them down their drains. When they first started taking anything over 3 ounces away, and they were asked what they would do with it all, the response was they would give all those shampoos, etc to homeless shelters. If they were so afraid of anything over 3 ounces, why weren't they blowing the stuff up? They knew full well that there was no danger from these items.
My understanding of refilling water bottles is that you should not reuse recycling numbers 3, 6, 7. Most water bottles are 1.
Uh, is it possible that Poland Spring just wants you to keep buying bottled water from them? Their business has gone way down with the push to use reusable bottles. I refill bottles all the time and buy only when I am in a crunch. Of course I have also had breast cancer...
Good luck finding a water fountain anywhere near the American Airlines gates at LaGuardia airport. There was only one very dirty, rust-colored and stained fountain in the entire concourse with the water stream so tiny it was unusable. And also, remember that instead of recyclable plastic bottles you can safely use, wash and re-use your own thermos-- if only there was a fountain...........
J. Greene
Good luck finding a water fountain anywhere near the American Airlines gates at LaGuardia airport. There was only one very dirty, rust-colored and stained fountain in the entire concourse with the water stream so tiny it was unusable. And also, remember that instead of recyclable plastic bottles you can safely use, wash and re-use your own thermos-- if only there was a fountain...........
#11 - Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:29 AM EDT
J. Greene
Good luck finding a water fountain anywhere near the American Airlines gates at LaGuardia airport. There was only one very dirty, rust-colored and stained fountain in the entire concourse with the water stream so tiny it was unusable. And also, remember that instead of recyclable plastic bottles you can safely use, wash and re-use your own thermos-- if only there was a fountain...........
#11 - Sat Aug 13, 2011 11:29 AM EDT
I love how paranoid we have become. The terrorists don't even have to carry our a successful attack anymore to affect our daily lives. First 9\11 happens and airport security slams down on everything, then after that we have the shoe bomber... his plot failed, but now Americans need to take of their shoes before getting on a plane. Then this thing with the liquids, another failed plot but now the American people cant carry water soap, shampoo, toothpaste (all common when traveling) in their carry on luggage anymore. Then the underwear bomber comes through and again... fails to do anything and contributes to the installation of body scanners and pat downs. (although I am still waiting for my underwear to be randomly selected for additional screening...) The body scanners and pat downs have managed to piss off a great many American travelers. (I would also like to add that the underwear and shoe bombers walked right past all the heightened post 9\11 security and both boarded planes and attempted to detonate their devices... Both were thwarted by passengers Good Job TSA... way to earn your paychecks... hindsight does not keep people safe!)
Terrorists know that our government will severely over react to any threat made and that traveling (and thus a major part of our economy) will suffer because of it. These days they don't even have to be successful in caring out their attacks in order for it to have an affect. Sure when the plots are thwarted no one dies but it still affects millions of people. I am waiting for them to do something like fill a pen with C4 and try to get it through security... They wont be able to but once they are caught trying, no pens will be allowed on planes.
The terrorists are surely planning to hit us again somehow but whatever happens next is likely to have nothing to do with the airports or an airplane. What they have done is focused us so tightly on airport security (and they occasionally throw in some half-baked attempt to breach it so that we stay focused on it) that they can hit somewhere else even easier. Their next major attack on America is not going to have anything to do with airplanes.
I hate to say it but the terrorists are winning one little tiny step at a time. American citizens are willingly trading their liberties for security. At the moment their goal of killing every single American is far fetched and impractical so they are doing the next best thing, scaring the hell out of us and turning us against each other.
Neither the "shoe bomber" nor the "underwear bomber" went through US security.
Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, started his flight in Paris, France.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the underwear bomber, started his flight in Amsterdam.
The TSA had nothing to do with screening either of these men.
And you can carry water, soap, shampoo, and toothpaste aboard flights as long as they are under 100mL.
While some may feel the 3-1-1 regulations are a hardship, it was rather easy compared to how the rest of the world handled the incident.
Even Canada completely banned carry on luggage, including laptop bags and women's purses, for several months following the Richard Reid incident.
i always bring my own bottle and never ever buy water or any drink outside. what a ripoff. one dollar for 12 ounces of water. same with those ridiculous dollar cans of soda. i can buy a whole 2 liter at a supermarket. penny pinching and frugal shortcuts have made me a Lamborghini owner. now if i could only do something about the gas mileage the car gets...
We bring bottles on every trip. I blow a dollar on a nice-sized refillable one ... and use it for the whole trip.
To make it easier going through security ... just take off the top! It's obviously empty then.