San Francisco Airport becomes the first to ban plastic water bottles

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco International Airport will become the first airport in the U.S. to ban plastic, single-use water bottles starting on Aug. 20, 2019.

Starting then, restaurants, cafes, and vending machines will be a water-bottle free zone. Of course, you could take a bottle of Poland Spring through security with you (as long as it’s empty), but at that point, you might as well spring for something a little sturdier.

Oddly enough, the ban does not apply to sodas, juices or flavored water, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Passengers will still be able to purchase those single-use bottles throughout the airport. Even though the new ban doesn’t technically solve the plastic bottle problem at the airport, it can cut down on waste significantly – about four million bottles per year, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

If you are in need of regular, plain H2O, the San Francisco International Airport has over 100 “hydration stations,” which are made for refilling reusable water bottles with clean, filtered water. They’re also completely free.

“We’re the first airport that we’re aware of to implement this change,” said SFO spokesman Doug Yakel in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re on the leading edge for the industry, and we want to push the boundaries of sustainability initiatives.”