Well, for Government departments.
They’ve done so after a country town in southern NSW introduced a blanket ban. This seems dumb.
People buy water for convenience sake. Water is important to live. The town in NSW will introduce filtered water fountains into the street.
I can’t help but think that this is an ailing Premier’s cynical attempt to ride a wave created by a small corner of his constituency…
“We’re asking government departments to phase it out unless there is obvious and practical commonsense reasons not to in the event someone doesn’t have cool water in a hot environment,” he [Premier Rees] said.
The Premier says the move will save taxpayer money and help reduce the impact on the environment of producing and throwing away plastic bottles.
“Local businesses in the town of 2,500 people are proposing to replace the bottles with reusables and then offer directions to filtered water fountains that will be installed on the main street.”
“At the very least, if they don’t ban it, then at least they will reduce their usage of it and in doing so, reduce the half-a-billion dollars a year that Australians are spending on bottled water.”
That’s half-a-billion dollars worth of convenience and jobs axed for ideological reasons.
Bottled water, in some people’s minds, is a tax on stupidity. Ever held a bottle of Evian up to a mirror? It’s free from the taps.
But that’s not the point.
As friend Paul pointed out in an email discussing the country town’s ban – people are buying the bottle not the water – you’re hardly going to stick your mouth on a tap in a public place.
Benny is most unhappy. Tap water gives him ulcers. He’s the only person I know who sees fluoride as an election issue.
Stupid hippies.
Nathan runs St Eutychus. He is currently a student at the Queensland Theological College. In a previous professional life he worked in public relations for an economic development and tourism marketing organisation. He is married to Robyn. He likes coffee and the internet.
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1Amy
wrote on 8 July 2009 at 16:51
There is a point to be made about the chemicals that leech out of those bottles into your water when you refill them though.
2Nathan
wrote on 8 July 2009 at 16:53
Except that snopes says most of these theories are old wives tales…
3Nathan
wrote on 8 July 2009 at 16:53
It’s actually the reusable bottles that are dangerous – not reusing single use bottles…
4Nathan
wrote on 8 July 2009 at 16:58
The ABC has an interesting article on Amy’s point.
And the jury may still be slightly out – but at this stage the health implications seem unlikely.
5queenstuss
wrote on 8 July 2009 at 20:15
What’s the difference between water in the first time or subsequent times, and what’s the difference between reusable bottles and single use bottles?
It’s a topic I’d like to see more research on.
6Scott
wrote on 9 July 2009 at 6:15
Firstly, I guess I fit nicely into the ‘Just shut up and drink it’ category.
And secondly, I thought that if a single-use bottle is re-used, it defies its own existence and simply cannot exist.
Therefore, is this really a topic worth discussing at all? Or are there simply a whole bunch of delusional nitwits going around thinking they’re drinking bottled water.
7Amy
wrote on 9 July 2009 at 8:31
From my reading Snopes said yes it degrades and no links to cancer/death/mayhem have not been proven. But I tend to trust the chemist in my life on this one, and he thinks it probably isn’t good for you.
8Amy
wrote on 9 July 2009 at 8:32
Aside from anything else, water picks up a bad taste in plastic bottles.
But everything around us is killing slowing one way or another, even oxygen.
9Amy
wrote on 9 July 2009 at 8:34
Wow, can you tell I am not awake yet?
…everything around us is slowly killing us, one way or another…
10Amy
wrote on 9 July 2009 at 8:39
But the point is, if for example your family has a history of estrogen-caused breast cancer (as mine does), it probably isn’t worth the risk of drinking from something which research has shown has the potential to leach estrogen-like compounds, especially when there are readily available alternatives.
11Nathan
wrote on 9 July 2009 at 8:48
Scott’s the pharmacist in my life. I will go with his opinion on the matter.