This week the makers of bottled water have responded to a new law in San Francisco that bans the use of government monies on bottled water. Again proving to be one of the most environmentally concerned states in the nations, the new restrictions which are fully supported by Mayor Gavin Newsom go even further by also making it illegal for bottled water to be sold on city owned property. Citing the costs to the city and the environment caused by the plastic single serve bottles as reasons behind the restriction, Newsom also proclaims that the city’s tap water is cleaner than that found on store shelves.
The Bottled Water Information Office thinks otherwise. In a statement the group says: “The very foundation of the industry is the protection of a precious natural resource and its use in a sustainable manner, and that ethos is applied in every aspect of the work of the industry. Bottled water is most commonly packaged in either plastic (PET) or glass, which is totally safe and conforms to strict regulations on health and safety. By far the majority of bottled water (93 per cent) comes in plastic bottles which is totally recyclable. Bottles also carry messages urging the purchaser to recycle after use. The rest (around 7 per cent) comes in glass bottles, which can also be placed for recycling”
Deciding who’s right or wrong on this issue it up to you guys, but just like big oil saying they have zero control over pricing I have a hard time believing The Bottled Water Information Office was gathered together to say how bad bottled water is. I think that especially in this case you have to look at who has the most to lose from the bottle water ban, the city of San Francisco (who could probably turn a good penny from allowing vendor sales to take place on city grounds) or the BWIO (who are in the business of selling bottled water)? Even if the environmental impact is low, all those plastic bottles piling up in landfills can’t be a good thing.
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