Australia town bans bottled water

[dirtydog]

Australia town bans bottled water

Campaigners say bottled water is bad for the environment

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.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Australia town bans bottled water

[sharon]

Bottled water is very pricy, especially when you buy it from somewhere like, darling harbour or circular quay shops.. $3.80 a bottle

[Humbert]

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

George Carlin wondered if God's master plan was actually to turn the planet into plastic and humanity was just clueless

[Mid]

Bundanoon, in New South Wales

they are right about what they say re : bottled water

strongly disagree with the ban though .

[BobR]

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

George Carlin wondered if God's master plan was actually to turn the planet into plastic and humanity was just clueless

George Carlin was a brilliant man, I really felt sad when he passed away. The brilliance of intelligent humor is something woefully under appreciated.

[watterinja]

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

George Carlin wondered if God's master plan was actually to turn the planet into plastic and humanity was just clueless

Plastic creates plastic... The Japanese are to blame...

[Spin]

they will be encouraged to fill a reusable container from water fountains in the main street.

I always carry a reusable water container that is empty, never leave home without one. Never had to use it yet though, but you never know with these things do you

[Panda]

We have a whole generation of people walking around hugging plastic water bottles these days. They wont drink perfectly good water out of the tap, yet they are quite happy to pay more per liter than the price of petrol for basically the same thing out of a plastic bottle in order to look trendy.

I suspect the whole thing got started by a combination of smart marketing and peer example of younger people who had travelled extensively abroad becoming attached to their plastic water bottles as a bit of a status thing.

I know when I was on the road travelling abroad I became very attached to my plastic water bottles and wouldn't go anywhere without one in my backpack. Same thing when I visit Thailand. Wouldn't dream of it here in OZ though.

The cost of bottled water to productivity in a developed country like Australia with loads of good clean safe tap water must be quite staggering. Not to mention the plastic waste problem.

Just another useless habit like booze, fags and junk food that we in the affluent west can afford to waste our money on I guess.

[Lily]

Good on Bundanoon and a beautiful little town, with a very pretty railway station.

[jandajoy]

Ban Ban Ban Ban..........................

FFS why can't people just let people do what they want. If there's an environmental cost then up the cost of the bottled water to compensate. But this "banning" thing is nuts.

You can imagine the make up of the town council......................

[jandajoy]

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

This is what they're bothered about.

If they'd thought of it first it might be a different story.

[Lily]

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

This is what they're bothered about.

If they'd thought of it first it might be a different story.

From seeing this issue on Australian TV news, I got the impression that the water was now being sourced in that area and bottled elsewhere. It seems likely. Bundanoon is in the Southern Highlands. High rainfall and mountains.