Americans threw away an estimated 22 billion plastic water bottles last year alone, which is why St. Mary's hospital is trying to cut down on some of that waste. St. Mary's estimates it sells about 80-thousand water bottles every year. But starting June 1st the hospital is eliminating the sale of bottled water, keeping as many bottles out of the land fills.

"I try to recycle everything that I can and I just try to reduce my waste as much as possible," says Registered Nurse Becky Koeff who recycles grocery bags and trash along with her water bottle. Koeff says, "I do it because I like to have it with me and it just saves time and money, but also because I have been environmentally conscious about it."

She's about three years ahead of a new initiative that will eliminate thousands of bottled water sales at St. Mary's each year, roughly 4,000 sold from vending machines and 76,000 in the cafeteria. Dr. Frank Byrne is the President of St. Mary's and says, "We won't be providing it for meetings, we won't be selling it in the cafeteria and other locations in the hospital."

Patients and guests will still be able to get water in the cafeteria using recycled paper cups, and employees are encouraged to use a reusable water bottle given to them by the hospital. Dr. Byrne says, "We're constantly looking for ways to reduce the amount of materials that are disposed of in land fills that we produce here at St. Mary's."

The hospital says keeping plastic out of the landfill is their corporate responsibility. Dr. Byrne says, "Over a million and a half gallons of oil are consumed every year making the bottles, the bottles can be recycled, but many of them are not, many, most we think end up in landfills even the ones that are recycled have limited utility."

It's a habit won't be easy for all employees to break. Karri Hubanks says, "Bottled water, I'd have to say at least once a day, I have a bottle a day."

But when forced to recycle and reuse, employees think it's a big step in the greener direction. Hubanks says, "I think it's wonderful, I think it's a good idea." Koeff adds, "I feel like I'm part of the solution."

This new initiative will be in effect at all 19 SSM hospitals in the midwest, cutting down on hundreds of thousands of bottles that end up in the land fill.