Bring Your Own Bottle: Reducing Plastic Waste, One Refill at a Time

This blog post was written by Riya Mehta, a 2025 Marine Plastics Ambassador.

The Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) Project was created to spark a change in consumer habits. Through this project, I have proposed and drafted a bill (BYOB) advocating for the implementation of refill stations in grocery stores. This project tackles the issue of single-use plastic consumption. The core aspect of this bill is the idea that when consumers buy a good, such as laundry detergent, they do not need to buy the packaging along with it. If consumers had reusable containers to carry products, plastic waste would drastically decrease. Throughout this project, I also worked to build youth support and advocacy in my community. The BYOB project has been a driving force in inspiring healthier change for my environment.

In the early parts of my EarthEcho ambassadorship, I heard from an SC Johnson representative as he shared information about refill stations that had been piloted in Vancouver. This inspired the idea for my BYOB bill and led to its creation. To further the reach of this bill, I have met with the offices of Pennsylvania Representatives Madeline Dean and Brian Fitzpatrick, where I have shared information about this and other EPR legislation they could support. I have created a petition to raise awareness of this issue.

Riya and other Marine Plastics Ambassadors met with Representative Dean’s office in Washington, DC to advocate for EPR.

I have also partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to host a letter-writing campaign. At this campaign, I taught students the importance of advocacy and why their voice matters. I shared my bill BYOB while also educating them that they do not need to be career politicians to make a difference in their community.

  • Engaged with over 100 students and 10 adults during the letter-writing campaign
  • 1000+ views and 300+ signatures on the “Pass the BYOB Act of 2025 in Pennsylvania” petition
  • Thousands of views of my advocacy work when featured on Fox Philly 29 live interview.

When drafting the BYOB bill, it was difficult to ensure proper formatting and set-up. In addition, I had difficulty getting responses from offices to meet and discuss my bill, and I hope that I can continue to advocate for this bill with more congressional leaders. The letter-writing campaign faced logistical challenges in coordinating dates for the event. However, through the support of the Boys and Girls Club, we were able to finalize a date. Through this experience, I have learned that involving the community in face-to-face events creates a more lasting impression than digital methods. My work has strengthened my passion for sustainability and environmental advocacy. I am more confident in my abilities to articulate my passions and work with others, especially respected legislators. I am convinced I can host and organize even larger-scale community projects to foster a cleaner environment.

Riya hosted a letter writing event engaging over 100 students.

I plan to meet with more congressional leaders to further the BYOB bill and its proposal to the Pennsylvania state legislature. I hope to host more events in my community, such as park cleanups or a plastic artwork exhibit.

Interested individuals can sign the petition “Pass the BYOB Act of 2025 in Pennsylvania” at https://www.change.org/p/pass-the-byob-act-of-2025-in-pennsylvania.