My thoughts on bottled-water-containers
Last Monday, the council of the city of London, Ontario, voted 15 to 3 to stop selling bottled-water in all city-owned buildings.
I agree it’s a step in the right direction to protect the environment from the accumulating plastic in our landfills. City officials point out that only 50% of single use bottles actually end up being recycled. They also argue that it will cut the amount of energy needed to truck-in the bottled water.
Refreshments Canada on the other hand say that the City of London should instead have put more effort in educating its residents about recycling, because plastic bottles are 100% recyclable and some cities like Hamilton recycle at a rate of 91% (if it’s true - Whohoo !).
But I strongly believe that no matter how many laws are passed and no matter how much effort is put into marketing, it’s up to the consumer to change their habits.
I buy bottled-water only when I am outside and I feel very dehydrated. I don’t buy bottled-water because it usually costs more than a can of pop or a pak of juice !
However I find the empty bottles just the right size, shape and weight to carry around. Even when I fill them with tap water I let my brain think the water’s exotic. It’s a great way for me to get to drink the daily required amounts of water.
The bottles can’t be kept for long because they degrade to release harmful toxins
I think the places covered by the ban are just right. I hope the law makers don’t go crazy enough to expand the coverage throughout our cities !
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If bottled water was truly better or healthier than tap water it would be different, however in Canada and the US bottled water is really no better (and often its indistinguishable) than most municipal water supplies.
One of the things that gets me is the great lengths the bottled water industry goes to in order to separate consumers from their money.
I was at a grocery store in Medford, New Jersey on Wednesday and snapped a picture of the strangest thing I have seen so far:
These are not plastic bottles. They are full size and full WEIGHT wine bottles containing water shipped to the Atlantic Seaboard from California.
Techfun’s last blog post… “The Little Black Man Child”
I tried to stick a picture in that comment, here is the link.
Techfun’s last blog post… “The Little Black Man Child”
You are so right. We consumers must change our ways. I do what you do (only buy bottled when I really have to). I filter my tap water using a Brita filtered jug thingy. Water tastes better that way and I’m not wasting plastic.
@ Techfun — those water-filled wine bottles are truly disgusting. Shipping water that far in those bottles should be a criminal offense.
Kathy’s last blog post… Oh, Canada!
Between the two of us we’ve covered packaging, content, and recycling of bottled water!
My wife was telling me that you can recycle aluminum an infinite amount of times, but plastic has a shorter recycling lifespan, hence the number found on plastic items (that little triangle symbol made of arrows). Our *county* won’t except anything over a #2, and I believe a number 7 signifies the end of that products “lifespan”. So find out what your local jurisdiction/municipality will allow at their recycling centers before you go to the trouble of sorting/storing or transporting your plastics.
BTW, I’ve heard about Kathy’s Brita Jugs. I believe they may be headlining at the ‘09 Blogapalooza.
@Techfun Sorry about the technical issue. Aquafina in Canada actually processes municipal tap water, and so does Dasani in the United States.
I’d never justify buying the bottles you pictured unless if they were carbonated like Perrier. Walnut Grove although is going the other way by justifying the glass bottling.
@Kathy One of the reasons people buy bottled water is ‘taste’. I’m a big fan of Brita filters myself because I really believe it pays for itself !
@Geakz The recycling centers here in Hamilton accept a wide variety of plastics. The city has a nice web-page about what kinds of plastics go in the blue bins.
Bloggers forget how dehydrated they become sitting with their over-heated laptops. Kathy would be doing the right thing if she featured her Brita Jugs
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It’s a good move. Folks will recycle if they want to and won’t if they don’t want to.
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@Curtis For the most part I do agree with the City’s ordiance. Hope they don’t go too far with it !
I have to confess: I’m guilty of using more than my share of plastic water bottles, tho I do recycle them. I just like drinking out of a bottle. But I’m trying to change my habits and use a stainless steel water bottle. You’re absolutely right: until consumers get it into their heads that this plastic water bottle craze is out of hand, they’re never going to go away.
JD at I Do Things’s last blog post… I Did Things in Canada so you don’t have to
Hey JD, I too like drinking from the bottle. At home too I keep bottles in the fridge. Much easier than pulling the jug out of the fridge, grab a tumbler, pour, drink, wash tumbler …
And I like to drink from steel tumblers - nothing beats metallic taste.
Jaffer’s last blog post… My thoughts on bottled-water-containers
I can never imagine such a thing happening here in India. We get ‘pure’ water only in bottles and cans and one can never imagine drinking from any other source.
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Hey Faiza ! Long time no see !
I don’t know how things are in Tamil Nadu but in South Gujarat, where I come from, Municipal water is potable enough but there’s still a perpetual “boil-water” advisory.
What is more scary is the occurance of counterfeit bottled-water and this can be hard to spot from the genuine !
Come to think of it, when Bisleri already has a 60% market share in India, and that the majority of the buyers are the middle-class and up, and the fact that consumer recycling programs in India are virtually inexistent, Bisleri should take an initiative to start a recycling program of it’s own.
People have been saving glass bottles for refunds and refills for decades now and I don’t think a program for plastic bottles should be any different.
Salam brother, I did try to leave my comments on some of your posts earlier, but it was showing an error message. This time I tried and it worked.
Btw, I thought you were from Pakistan!!
I have not heard anything about the mineral water companies trying anything on recycling in India. I wonder if they would have even given it a thought.
Counterfeit-water bottles are no exception where you have everything duplicated here..
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We never buy bottled water I have a bottle that I wash and re-use until it is so old and crabby looking that I fear germs may be lurking ;O) If I ever buy a bottled drink while I’m out, I wash and keep the bottle for future use.
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@Faiza I get that all the time
. For your info Abdul Rahman and I were in the same class in High School.
@Babs I’d only wash and keep a glass bottle if I think it could really have another use. I’m afraid of keeping plastic bottles for too long. If it goes any softer, into the blue-box it goes !
Jaffer’s last blog post… Good riddance Summer !