Massachusetts Town Votes to Ban the Sale of Bottled Water
posted by: alicia graefLast week residents in Concord, MA voted to ban the sale of plastic water bottles in their municipality as of next January, which could make it the first town in the U.S. to make such a move.
The vote has environmentalists excited, while the $10 billion industry is worried other towns will follow suit. More than 100 towns across the U.S. have prohibited spending city dollars on the product, all in a worldwide effort to reduce plastic in landfills and waterways and reduce green house gases.
The International Bottled Water Association issued a statement threatening a “legal challenge” comparing bottled water to other products, such as cleaning supplies, food and other beverages. Their argument is that they shouldn’t be singled out for producing a wasteful product when everyone else is doing it too.
“Any efforts to discourage consumers from drinking water, whether tap water or bottled water, is not in the best interests of consumers. Bottled water is a very healthy, safe, convenient product that consumers use to stay hydrated,” said Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association.
That’s true, of course, but a ban on bottled water doesn’t necessarily mean people will drink less of it, it just means they will have to be more conscientious about their drinking habits.
The convenience of throw-away products, like bottled water, are causing many environmental problems.
Jean Hill, an 82-year-old activist working on the