First they got rid of those flimsy plastic bags at the local grocery store, now the city of San Francisco is going after those water bottles lining your refrigerator door. Just last week Mayor Gavin Newsom made it illegal for city funds to go to the purchase of single serving bottles of water. In addition the bottles will no longer be able to be served on city owned property. Where does the Mayor expect you to get your water? From the tap believe it or not. In an interview with Newsweek Mayor Newsom said “The transportation and distribution, developing the plastic for the water bottles, the cost of the water, has a huge environmental and economic impact. As a consequence of the prolific growth in bottled waters, we in the city feel we have a responsibility to address its cost and its environmental impact. We are looking to eliminate completely all of bottled water consumption supported by city money but also to begin an educational campaign to convey the real cost of bottled water, transported half way around the world. We are looking at a marketing campaign showing bottled water compared to a barrel of oil, that shows it takes far more energy to transport the water than the oil” Newsom goes on to claim that the water coming out of the city’s tap is from the nearby Hetch Hetchy reservoir and is cleaner than some brands of bottled water found on retail shelves. This may be the case in San Francisco, but where I’m at in Northern Alabama tap water comes in two varieties chucky and chocolaty.
With over $500,000 being spent by the city to purchase bottled water each year, you can see why the Mayor wants to regulate. Without an immediate response from the major players in the bottle water industry commenting on this as of yet, you have to know that this is going to a burden to several major companies. As to what city workers will be keeping their water in? Metal reusable bottles. The city is also taking steps to sway the public by having them sign an online pledge and as a sign of gratitude residents will be entered into a contest to receive a reusable metal water bottle like the one below.
Buy Repell-em Garbage Bags and keep the animals away!
Related Posts:
June 28th, 2007 at 3:38 am
Hi, that bottled water ban doesn’t worry me as I use a Hydropal, which allows me to drink filtered water wherever I am, I got my Hydropal from www.hydropal.com.au, regards..