Saguaro National Park bans sale of drinks in plastic bottles

Saguaro National Park in Tucson has banned the sale of disposable bottled soda or water from vending machines. Instead, the park now has stations where visitors can refill their own reusable water bottles. Saguaro officials say they’ve long been committed to keeping recyclable waste out of landfills, but that recycling plastic bottles still takes time and fuel.

Grand Canyon National Park has also halted the sale of plastic bottles.

Bottles at the Canyon made up an estimated 30 percent of recyclables. At Saguaro National Park , bottles account for 40 percent of what’s recycled and 15 percent of the park’s waste.