Cities ponder restrictions in wake of London [Ontario] bottle ban

Posted August 19, 2008 in [Water]

Carly Weeks, August 19, 2008, The Globe and Mail - The water fountain is about to make a comeback. Plastic water bottles are the focus of a growing national backlash that's turning them from a fashion accessory into the latest environmental taboo. The issue reached a head in London, Ont., last night after city council voted to eliminate sales of bottled water at all city-run facilities, including arenas and community centres, and possibly even golf courses.

The issue, which engulfed London in debate, makes the city one of the first in Canada to adopt restrictions on bottled-water sales. Despite vocal protests from the beverage industry, London's Council easily approved the proposal, 15-3.

Similar measures are already in the works or are being considered elsewhere across Canada, including Vancouver, Ottawa and Kitchener, Ont.

Experts predict London's move will spur others to follow suit.

“I think other municipalities will be very encouraged by London's leadership,” said Aaron Freeman, policy director at Environmental Defence, a national advocacy group. “Already many are looking at this issue, and I'm sure many others will.”

Plastic water bottles are increasingly being singled out as an unnecessary extravagance that consumes excessive resources, particularly considering most Canadian cities have safe municipal drinking supplies. In London, officials say it takes 150 times as much greenhouse gas to produce bottled water as it does tap water.

But the growing movement against bottled water has prompted heated criticism from Canada's beverage industry, which says consumers want and deserve the convenience of plastic bottles when they're on the go.

“It's hard to bring your kitchen sink with you,” said Scott Tabachnick, spokesman for the Coca-Cola Co., which produces Dasani bottled water. “To us, it's a matter of choice and a matter of personal preference.”

But, as far as a growing number of Canadian cities are concerned, that argument doesn't hold much water.

Bottled H{-2}0 has becoming increasing popular in Canada in recent years, with per capita consumption jumping to 60 litres in 2005 from less than 30 litres in 1998, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation. In the latter year, bottled-water sales reached nearly $653-million.

With the sales spurt, however, has come a growing awareness of the amount of energy it takes to produce, transport and recycle a product that is readily available by turning on a tap. Environmental experts highlight the fact that municipal water supplies in Canadian cities are inspected more frequently than water-bottling plants, and that Canadian tap water generally is of very high quality.

Big-name bottled-water brands, such as Dasani and Aquafina, also use water from municipal supplies in Canada, then filter them. That doesn't justify the environmental cost of producing them or the price charged to consumers, critics say.

“Bottled-water companies have had a fabulous ride on an unnecessary fad,” said Tim Stevenson, a Vancouver City Councillor who is leading a move to stop selling bottled water in city buildings.

Vancouver City Council has voted in favour of bottled-water restrictions, but officials are in the process of determining how they can be implemented.

In London, the new restrictions on bottled-water sales will be phased in over the next few months, according to Jay Stanford, the city's director of environmental programs and solid waste, and will be applied only to buildings equipped with water fountains.

Although bottled water may disappear from some arenas, office buildings and community centres around Canada, it will likely take more time before such restrictions are applied at large events. London, for instance, has no immediate plans to prohibit the sale of bottled water at summer festivals or other outdoor events, which can draw crowds of 200,000, Mr. Stanford said.

“It would be virtually impossible to ensure everyone has access [to water],” he said.

However, over the course of the summer, the city installed more water fountains at festivals, as well as introducing portable-water dispensers, to reduce the need for people to purchase bottled water.