[Adeena]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/08/2619705.htm

NSW town pushed to ban bottled water

By environment reporter Shane McLeod for AM

A town in the New South Wales southern highlands hopes to become the first community in Australia to ban the sale of bottled water.

Bundanoon is probably best known for its annual Scottish cultural festival. But now the town of 2,500 people hopes to make a name for itself for another canny decision.

Bundanoon businessman Huw Kingston suggested the ban after a company applied to pump water out of a local aquifer to supply the bottled market.

"I put a little article - 'Does Bundanoon have the bottle to go bottled water free?' - in our local newsletter. I guess we have gone on from there," he said.

The suggestion won the support of local businesses.

They are proposing to replace plastic bottles of water on their shop shelves with reusables and then offer directions to filtered water fountains that will be installed on the main street.

Tonight that idea will be put to local residents at a community meeting.

Mr Kingston believes there will be widespread support.

"I think there is an overwhelming opposition to the marketing scam that is stilled bottled water," he said.

Around the world other cities have taxed bottled water - in some places, local officials have been banned from using taxpayers funds to buy it.

Environmentalist Jon Dee from activist group Do Something believes Bundanoon could be the first town to ban it entirely.

"Huge amounts of resources are used to extract, bottle and transport that bottled water, and much of the package ends up as litter or landfill," he said.

"So environmentally it makes no sense and that is what we are trying to do in Bundanoon, is show that a community can live without single use bottled water."

Mr Dee, who was behind the campaign that saw plastic bags banned in the Tasmanian town of Coles Bay, says other towns around the country would not find it hard to follow Bundanoon's lead.

"If Bundanoon can ban bottled water, well many other towns and communities around Australia will also consider their usage of bottled water," he said.

"And at the very least, if they don't ban it then at least they will reduce their usage of it and in doing so reduce the half a billion dollars a year that Australians are spending on bottled water and not just save money but save the environment too."

Mr Kingston says visitors to Bundanoon will not be set upon if they are seen sipping water from a plastic bottle.

"We are fairly civilised people down here. Nobody is going to get lynched for carrying a bottle of prepackaged water down the main street of Bundanoon," he said.

But he hopes the ban will make them think twice about how they quench their thirst.

[Lily_17]

It's banned in some places here, too. Fucking lame.

[gingerbee52]

i think its a good idea. i really begrudge having to pay for water and often carry round a bottle with me everywhere anyway because it panics me if i dont. And also there is that added bonus of helpin the environment.... i guess

[Lily_17]

Yeah, so instead of buying bottled water, people are buying other stuff. In bottles, cans, etc. Stuff that's probably much worse off for you to drink.

Besides, that shit's recyclable anyway.

[axm9237]

Not buying bottled water would be great, if I had drinkable tap water.

[gingerbee52]

true, i dont think it should be banned a such coz its just a tad extreme and probably result in more harmful products being consumed more than usual but i do think there should be some kind of public fountain thing but better then ur average water fountain as its not that hygienic and thats what usually turns me off public drinkin fountains (spit back)

[Adeena]

The main points in this article are:

* Commercial suppliers want to come in and take the town's water to sell as "spring water". So the water supply is fine.

* If the water supply is good enough for a major commercial company to want to sell it, why would the town stores bother with stocking their own tap water as a commercially packaged product? Why not just sell people re-usables and give them the water for free?

[Soaring above...]

After many, many different water bottles, I think I've finally found one rugged enough for my family and their activities.
Found it at Costco after many months of looking.


It doesn't taste like metal (except where your mouth is) and the top doesn't break. Put a carabiner on it, hook it on anything and you're good to go.

Something needs to be done about all the water bottles. I agree. Change is coming, like it or not.

[gidget83]

If the town really does have 'good' water than that could be a good idea. Unfortunatelly, not everyone does live in a town with 'good' water.

The water in my town has been linked to cancer clusters and smells mildewed when it comes out of the faucets. we've even tried putting through our own filters and still got sick off it. I have no choice but to buy bottled water.

However, I do only buy it in large gallon jugs and fill up reusable bottles such as the aluminum bottles (No, it does not make the water taste like metal). Buying larger bottles uses less plastic than all the small bottles.

And yes, when recycled it is made into all kinds of great things now.
Reusable shopping bags (I haven't received plastics bags when I go shopping in a year and a half- very easy for anyone to do).
My son and I have shoes made with 70% of recycled materials including plastic bottles.
The vinyl interior in a Hybrid Ford Explorer is also partially made from recycled plastic bottle.
There is even a company that uses recycled plastic bottles to make carpet.

[Ponke]

Yeah, so instead of buying bottled water, people are buying other stuff. In bottles, cans, etc. Stuff that's probably much worse off for you to drink.

Besides, that shit's recyclable anyway.

I still think recycing is the thing you should do. In Germany we have to pay a deposit which is way higher than the price of the water itself. Though people bring the bottles back and don´t throw them somewhere. Every household also has those recycling bins for paper, plastic, bins, glas, biological stuff etc. (we have about 5 bins outside our house) You only have a very small trash can for the stuff which you can´t recycle and this one is very expensive.

[Zuexgirl]

In South Australia they have banned plastic bags - like the ones the supermarkets use. We all use canvas type re-useable ones or you have to pay a charge for biodegradable bags. At first, it was a little annoying if you forgot your carry bags, but now its just regular life that you keep them handy should you have to call into a store to pick things up.

[Ponke]

In South Australia they have banned plastic bags - like the ones the supermarkets use. We all use canvas type re-useable ones or you have to pay a charge for biodegradable bags. At first, it was a little annoying if you forgot your carry bags, but now its just regular life that you keep them handy should you have to call into a store to pick things up.

Same here... we have it like that over 15 years

[Zuexgirl]

Same here... we have it like that over 15 years

So we are a bit behind the times then!

Many people were already using the canvas bags but it is nice to know that the Goverment has taken the next step to acually ban them.

[pisces]

In my city, they are also proposing a bottled water ban. A lot of people are upset about it; I don't really care either way. I do think that too many people pay for water (OCTV interview anyone?!?!) and it seems like no matter how civilized our society gets, they still can't understand the simple concept of recycling. The bottles are often all over the sides of the road here, along with most other refuse people are too lazy to put in a receptacle. I just wonder what my municipality will do if they ban bottled water, and we have a really dry summer, which is precisely the time they put a ban on using too much water. Well, if it's hot, it stands to reason that people will want to drink more and more water, but the city doesn't want you to use more water than is absolutely necessary... so it's kind of a catch 22.

Also, almost all of the main retail chains here have stopped using plastic bags, unless you pay anywhere from 5 to 10 cents for one at time of purchase. I have so many reusuable bags... it's just a shame I never really remember to bring them when I go out!

[Adeena]

I'm thinking that the town in the article (which has an aquifer) isn't under the same water restrictions as the rest of us here in Australia?

[Elvira]

I have so many reusuable bags... it's just a shame I never really remember to bring them when I go out!

Put one in every bag you own. I do that too. It's a bag you can fold into a small package and it was only 1 euro.

[kynd]

So we are a bit behind the times then!

Many people were already using the canvas bags but it is nice to know that the Goverment has taken the next step to acually ban them.

We're even further behind as no ban on them yet in the UK! But a number of shops do now charge for plastic bags. It amazes me though that just about every shop assistant still asks if I want a bag, despite the fact I usually have a large shoulder bag, or one of the kids' buggies with a generous shopping basket- and they look surprised when I say no, I'll put it in my bag, or the buggy basket

Like Lily, I don't think banning bottled water just like that will help - people will then buy sugary drinks or cans etc. We have a huge collection of reusable water bottles at home due to elder daughter having to take one to school every day and them often getting lost/taken/stolen (some we get back, others we don't ) and my husband being in the TA and being a walker/survivalist etc. So we take water/drink with us when we go out places (unless we leave them on the side in the kitchen )

People need to plan ahead more and tkae their own bottles of their own tap water around with them as habit (altho' this is a little more difficult when you're on holiday, staying in a hotel somewhere)