No More Bottled Water For You!

[Sionnach Glic]

Australia town bans bottled water

A rural town in Australia has voted overwhelmingly to ban the sale of bottled water over concerns about its environmental impact.

Campaigners say Bundanoon, in New South Wales, may be the first community in the world to have such a ban.

They say huge amounts of resources are used to extract, package and transport bottled water.

The discarded plastic bottles then end up as litter or go into landfill sites, the "Bundy on Tap" campaign says.

More than 350 residents turned out to vote at the public meeting in the town hall.

Only one resident voted against the ban, along with a representative from the bottled water industry, ABC news reported.

The BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says locals have promised not to set upon visitors if they ignore the ban, but they will be encouraged to fill a reusable container from water fountains in the main street.

The reusable bottles will bear the slogan "Bundy on Tap".

Campaigner John Dee said local opinion had been incensed when a drinks company announced plans to tap an underground reservoir in the town.

Environmental impact

"The company has been looking to extract water locally, bottle it in Sydney and bring it back here to sell it," he said.

"It made people look at the environmental impact of bottled water and the community has been quite vocal about it."

The ban has been supported by shopkeepers in the town, which has a population of about 2,500.

"We believe Bundanoon is the world's first town that has got its retailers to ban bottled water," said Mr Dee. "We haven't found it anywhere else."

New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees has backed the cause, ordering government departments to stop buying bottled water and use tap water instead.

Mr Rees says it will save taxpayers money and help the environment.

Source

[Teaos]

Was on the news tonight.

Stupid idea really. While I fully know that bottled water is a total waste since it is just tap water 99% of the time, it was pointed out people buy it cause they are thirsty, if they cant buy that they'll just resort to less healthy sugar drinks, doing nothing about the rubbish and being bad for everyones health, not to mention right to choose.

Idiots.

[Lighthawk]

Wouldn't a better idea have been to just make a law requiring plastic bottles to be recycled?

[Nickswitz]

Yeah, we all know how well that works...

As much as I used to disagree with this point of view, the only way to enforce a law, is to punish those who don't do it, I mean, they give you 5 cents for every bottle you recycle here and there are still bottles all over the ground.

So yes Lighthawk, if you could enforce it, that would be a good idea, but we have incentives and fines and everything, and nonetheless it doesn't work, people won't do it if they don't want to. Simple as that.

And as for Teaos, apparently everyone voted for it to happen, so if it's what they want to do, and they can get it to happen, its a great thing, less pollution, but on any larger a scale, it would never work.

[Teaos]

Its not less polution though, people will just drink coke instead of water.

[Nickswitz]

Oh, I thought they were saying all bottled drinks, that's just stupid...

[Lighthawk]

Yeah, we all know how well that works...

As much as I used to disagree with this point of view, the only way to enforce a law, is to punish those who don't do it, I mean, they give you 5 cents for every bottle you recycle here and there are still bottles all over the ground.

So yes Lighthawk, if you could enforce it, that would be a good idea, but we have incentives and fines and everything, and nonetheless it doesn't work, people won't do it if they don't want to. Simple as that.

And as for Teaos, apparently everyone voted for it to happen, so if it's what they want to do, and they can get it to happen, its a great thing, less pollution, but on any larger a scale, it would never work.

But seeing how the ban was the result of an overwhelming vote on the part of the people, it would seem that they wouldn't need to heavily enforce a recycling program, seeing as the big point of the ban was to reduce litter. If the people are that into cutting pollution that they'll deny themselves a luxery, so much as it is, why didn't they just all agree to make an effort at better waste management instead?

[Teaos]

Its also not legally binding, they rely on shop keepers to keep track of themselves.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

You can't really enforce laws requiring people to be responsible; there are laws against littering here in NYC and look how well that works out!

[Mikey]

Besides, 350 people probably represent 88% of the population of Flyspeck, or whatever that town was called. They're sure gonna change the world now that they've regulated against 0.00000000000000000000001% of the world's plastic...

[Nickswitz]

Besides, 350 people probably represent 88% of the population of Flyspeck, or whatever that town was called. They're sure gonna change the world now that they've regulated against 0.00000000000000000000001% of the world's plastic...

Yeah, I totally would have noticed had there not been an article, point is, sure it works on a small scale, but on any larger a scale, it would most likely fail, miserably.

[Tyyr]

More power to them. I don't see the need for the ban though. Don't like it, don't buy it.

[Mikey]

Exactly. If everyone in the town was so dead-set against bottled water, there shouldn't really be a need for a law, should there?

[Monroe]

What do they do if they want to go on a hiking trip or car ride and want some water?

The best tool agaisnt over use of bottle water is education that tap water is good for the most part. Now where I live in Saint Joseph, Missouri, the water here makes me sick. Its white, full of clay particles and tastes like shit. And gives me bad breath. No way in hell I'm going to drink that unless I have to. That said I bought a brita water pitcher.

[Aaron]

Yeah, I totally would have noticed had there not been an article, point is, sure it works on a small scale, but on any larger a scale, it would most likely fail, miserably.

In Australia it would fail miserably. A good number of towns don't have any potable save for bottled, while it obviously doesn't affect this town (either that or their idiots) it would affect a large number of Aussies.