Elkay, a manufacturer of award-winning drinking water products, recently reached an incredible milestone — the production of the one millionth bottle filling station. Since its launch more than 10 years ago, the Elkay ezH2O Bottle Fillers have saved more than 40 billion plastic bottles from ending up in landfills, enough to circle the Earth over 135 times.

Leading the charge and upholding its commitment to delivering clean water and sustainable design, Elkay introduced the ezH2O rapid bottle filling station in February of 2010 with the goal to reduce plastic waste. During its first year of launch, 4,000 units were sold, marking the beginning of its monumental bottle saving journey.

"We're so proud of this accomplishment and what we have been able to achieve with the ezH2O bottle filling stations over the last decade," said Ted Hamilton, president of Elkay Plumbing. "We set out to launch a first-of-its-kind bottle filling station with a sustainable design and we're excited to see where the next 10 years take us as we continue our mission in contributing to a cleaner environment and healthier communities for generations to come."

The one millionth ezH2O bottle filling station will be installed at Garfield Park in Elkay's hometown of Chicago. This installation will not only celebrate the production milestone, but is also part of marking the company's recent 100th year in business where Elkay partnered with the City of Chicago and nonprofit organization, Elevate, to install 100 units across the Chicagoland area. The installations will bring access to clean drinking water across locations that need it most, from schools to parks to youth centers and facilities.

Over the years, Elkay has continued to enhance the ezH2O bottle filling stations with features that matter most to those who use them, including a hands-free operation designed for hygiene and ease of use, NSF certified filters to help put cleaner, healthier water within reach by reducing lead and other contaminants, in addition to the LED filter status light, instilling trust in those consuming the water. One feature that sets this innovative product line apart is Elkay's exclusive Green Ticker which informs users the number of 20 oz. plastic water bottles saved from waste by using refillable bottles at the station encouraging a growing and sustainable habit among consumers globally.

As more communities begin to recognize and advocate the need for bottle filling stations in schools, parks and other public spaces - where Elkay bottle fillers are typically found - states across the country are regularly passing bills into legislation requiring bottle filling stations to be installed in newly constructed and renovated schools to encourage healthy hydration and provide access to cleaner drinking water. Research has shown that bottle filling stations in schools triple the amount of water children drink, helping their short term memory, reducing the likelihood of childhood obesity and also decreasing the spread of germs among students.

Looking ahead, Elkay is committed to worldwide sustainability and working toward a greener future, including shipping a quarter million more ezH2Os by the end of 2021. To learn more about Elkay's bottle filling stations and sustainability efforts, visit Elkay.com.