Growing up on the Mississippi River, Chad Pregracke, Living Lands & Waters Founder, experienced first-hand what pollution was doing to our nation’s rivers. Pregracke was 17 years old and had no business experience. He secured his first sponsorship, $8,400. Pregracke has made his dream a reality over 20 years. Pregracke, his team and 87,000 volunteers have collected 8.4 millions pounds of debris from America’s streams.
Living Lands & Waters, the world’s leading river cleanup organization, has partnered with ElkayAmerican-owned and managed leading manufacturer of wood products and plumbing.
“Mr. Pregracke is truly an American hero, and his mission perfectly aligns with our sustainability efforts in product development,”Ted Hamilton is Elkay’s vice-president and general manager for Emerging Markets Plumbing Channel. “We both are committed to keeping America a beautiful place to live and work, and to making it easy to do the smart thing.”
Elkay’s bottle-filling stations ezH2O provide quick and convenient access to clean drinking waters. This makes it possible to refill a water bottle on the move. These stations can be found on K-12 schools, colleges, and business campuses, as well as at airports and parks, as well as in sports facilities, fitness centers, and other places across the country.
“I can’t tell you how many thousands of plastic bottles I’ve fished out of the river over the years. Some shorelines are 2-feet deep in garbage and it can be like that for miles,”Pregracke. “Our rivers are a national treasure, and it’s great to be partnering with a company that makes a product right here in the United States that provides an easy way to eliminate waste, helping future generations enjoy our nation’s rivers, just as I have my whole life.”
Since Living Lands & Waters was founded in 1998, it has grown to be the only “industrial-strength”There is no river cleanup organization quite like it anywhere in the world. The crew lives and travels on a barge for up to nine years.
It’s easier than ever to make a difference. You can carry a water bottle that you can refill at an ezH2O station. And join in the important work of Living Lands & Waters. For more information, please visit www.elkay.com/ezH2O.
