26 replies to this topic

[think local]

http://www.canadians...isdictions.html

[aastra]

Does anybody have a map of all of the jurisdictions that have banned bottled soft drinks, sports drinks, dairy drinks, coffee drinks, juices, and alcoholic beverages? It would be interesting to compare.

[Bernard]

Unless there are a lot more free sources to get water, I am not sure what benefit this movement will be.

I buy bottled water when I am away from home and want to drink something because I thirsty. If there is not going to be water I will be buying some other beverage.

Water fountains are great, but few and far between. Also, I am not keen to drink from one this time of year, damned cold.

As far as I can tell bottled water has a lower impact on the environment than a bottle of coke or a bottle of beer. Figure out the environmental costs of all beverages and then apply those costs to the product.

Is this not something for people to decide for themselves? Why should government be involved in banning one product over another?

Let us say that the government banned all bottled water. If you do this, a lot more pop and ice tea will be sold, both of which are less healthy for people and cause more damage to the environment - they use the same amount of water as bottled water but have more ingredients to be added and more waste to dispose of.

Supporting this a bottled water ban means:
1) Support for more environmental damage
2) Support for more obesity
3) Support for more government costs through more regulation
4) Support for disempowering people by not letting them choose.

Frankly, I can not see a single upside to the idea.

[gumgum]

You can't get cheap, clean beer out of a kitchen faucet.
I support the idea of a ban.
If I want water away from home, I try and think ahead and bring my canteen with me.
I am guilty of buying bottled water when I am unprepared, but there would be more fountains if there wasn't bottled water for sale everywhere.
Personally, it ticks me off that I have to pay for water in a public place, like a mall or something, when there used to be water fountains everywhere and I could drink all I wanted for free.

[VicHockeyFan]

Unless there are a lot more free sources to get water, I am not sure what benefit this movement will be.

I buy bottled water when I am away from home and want to drink something because I thirsty. If there is not going to be water I will be buying some other beverage.

Water fountains are great, but few and far between. Also, I am not keen to drink from one this time of year, damned cold.

As far as I can tell bottled water has a lower impact on the environment than a bottle of coke or a bottle of beer. Figure out the environmental costs of all beverages and then apply those costs to the product.

Is this not something for people to decide for themselves? Why should government be involved in banning one product over another?

Let us say that the government banned all bottled water. If you do this, a lot more pop and ice tea will be sold, both of which are less healthy for people and cause more damage to the environment - they use the same amount of water as bottled water but have more ingredients to be added and more waste to dispose of.

Supporting this a bottled water ban means:
1) Support for more environmental damage
2) Support for more obesity
3) Support for more government costs through more regulation
4) Support for disempowering people by not letting them choose.

Frankly, I can not see a single upside to the idea.

Agreed. Astra, good humour in your post there too.

[VicHockeyFan]

You can't get cheap, clean beer out of a kitchen faucet.

You can at my home. Just kidding.

I support the idea of a ban.
If I want water away from home, I try and think ahead and bring my canteen with me.
I am guilty of buying bottled water when I am unprepared, but there would be more fountains if there wasn't bottled water for sale everywhere.
Personally, it ticks me off that I have to pay for water in a public place, like a mall or something, when there used to be water fountains everywhere and I could drink all I wanted for free.

Complain to the mall then. But don't make everyone have to subscribe to your point of view by banning it. Anyway, that map is a little misleading, because it is only government-owned facilities that have the ban in most places (TO and VCR anyway).

[G-Man]

I agree, banning bottled water is just plain weird. If government should be involved at all it should mandate public fountains be a part of semi public spaces such as malls. Thought to be honest the city should step up and show some leadership by putting water fountains in more places around the city.

[victorian fan]

The Council of Canadians believes in peaceful protest and non-violent civil disobedience

This has nothing to do with the government does it?

[Bernard]

You can't get cheap, clean beer out of a kitchen faucet.
I support the idea of a ban.
If I want water away from home, I try and think ahead and bring my canteen with me.
I am guilty of buying bottled water when I am unprepared, but there would be more fountains if there wasn't bottled water for sale everywhere.
Personally, it ticks me off that I have to pay for water in a public place, like a mall or something, when there used to be water fountains everywhere and I could drink all I wanted for free.

What about banning pop? It is more damaging by every measure than bottled water is.

You can still get water in any place that has a bathroom and last time I checked there are bathrooms in a lot of places.

I think this campaign is silly and a waste of time. I find it mind boggling that people have chosen to start a campaign like this that is damaging to our environment, health and society.

[G-Man]

I like pop.

[victorian fan]

I think this campaign is silly and a waste of time.

As do I.

[gumgum]

What about banning pop? It is more damaging by every measure than bottled water is.

You can still get water in any place that has a bathroom and last time I checked there are bathrooms in a lot of places.

I think this campaign is silly and a waste of time. I find it mind boggling that people have chosen to start a campaign like this that is damaging to our environment, health and society.

Actually I think pop should be banned for other reasons than their bottles. Pop is one of the biggest contributor to disease and obesity. There is absolutely nothing of nutritional value in a bottle of Coke. I haven't drank a pop in years.
But that's another point altogether.

I would like to see less bottles of water in the world. But I guess that's just me.

[G-Man]

I am not in favour of banning anything. I think that if people want to smoke, drink or eat something then let them do it and at the same time through some taxes on there. I hate it when one group thinks it is more aware of something than the person using a product. The only exception would be second hand smoke as that infringes on someone else so long as you are the only one being damaged then so be it.

This is the same as the temperance movement of the early 1900's.

[VicHockeyFan]

Coke themselves say they use 3.12 liters of water for every liter of Coke they produce. Some critics say they use as much as 9L.

[Holden West]

Canada: Nestlé advertisement misleading, groups allege
Posted: December 1, 2008

The Globe and Mail. By Martin Mittelstaedt -

Advertising claims by Nestlé that suggest bottled water is "the most environmentally responsible consumer product in the world" are prompting an official complaint just as the biggest city in Canada debates a ban on sales of it.

A number of groups, including the citizens group Council of Canadians, are to file a complaint today under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, accusing Nestlé of trying to mislead the public.

The controversy comes as Toronto City Council deliberates whether to ban the sale of bottled water at municipal sites.

If the ban is approved, possibly as early as this afternoon, Toronto would be the largest city in the world to take such action against a ubiquitous product that for some is rapidly going from chic to taboo because of environmental concerns.

Nestlé Waters Canada stands by its advertisement, which also says "most" water bottles are recycled.

"All the claims we make are supported by research that we've done," said John Challinor, director of corporate affairs at the company, the country's largest seller of bottled water.

To date, 12 municipalities and a school board have placed restrictions on bottled water, according to a tally being kept by Nestlé.

Seventeen have rejected such measures.

Some cities are banning disposable water bottles from civic buildings because of concerns that plastic containers are adding to garbage disposal woes.

Municipalities are also being lobbied to institute such measures by the Council of Canadians. The council'shead, Maude Barlow, was recently appointed a United Nations adviser on water issues.

The Council of Canadians has raised environmental and political objections over bottled water, saying it undermines municipal drinking-water systems.

"In Canada, we have one of the best public drinking-water systems in the world" and bottled water use should be limited to emergency situations, said Meera Karunananthan, a council spokeswoman.

The skirmish over the advertisement, which appeared in The Globe and Mail in October, is part of a large tit-for-tat between the bottled water industry and environmentalists.

Nestlé also has written to municipalities, complaining that the Council of Canadians and other groups aren't being truthful in their criticism of the product.

Mr. Challinor said the company based its claim that bottled water is the world's most responsible consumer product partly on figures from Environment Canada on the amount of water needed to produce typical food and beverages.

A litre of bottled water requires about 1.5 litres to produce. A litre of soft drink needs about three litres of water; a slice of bread 28 litres; and a can of vegetables about 35 litres. The high figures for bread and vegetables are partly attributable to the manufacturing processes.

Mr. Challinor said the company's contention that most plastic beverage bottles are recycled is based on the experience in Ontario, where about 60 per cent are diverted from landfill.

The complaint also is being supported by the Polaris Institute, a left-leaning activist group, and several environmental organizations, including Friends of the Earth Canada and Ecojustice.

[gumgum]

I am not in favour of banning anything. I think that if people want to smoke, drink or eat something then let them do it and at the same time through some taxes on there. I hate it when one group thinks it is more aware of something than the person using a product. The only exception would be second hand smoke as that infringes on someone else so long as you are the only one being damaged then so be it.

This is the same as the temperance movement of the early 1900's.

What about the pollutants that fill the air at bottle manufacturing plants? What about all the environmental damage created by their creation? I could go on. It too has more than in indirect affect on the health of people.

The lines blur very quickly.

[VicHockeyFan]

What about the pollutants that fill the air at bottle manufacturing plants? What about all the environmental damage created by their creation? I could go on. It too has more than in indirect affect on the health of people.

The lines blur very quickly.

What about the pollutants from the factories that produce the pipe that brings the water all the way from the reservoir to your home? And the pollution caused by the excavator digging the trench to insert the pipes? And the smoke caused by the vehicle that the excavator driver used to get to work?

[vandervalk]

Actually I think pop should be banned for other reasons than their bottles. Pop is one of the biggest contributor to disease and obesity. There is absolutely nothing of nutritional value in a bottle of Coke. I haven't drank a pop in years.
But that's another point altogether.

I would like to see less bottles of water in the world. But I guess that's just me.

There are many types of pop out there and I haven't heard on that is a contributor to disease directly. No more than any other types of garbage food out there whether it's solid or liquid.

There really isn't much nutrients in water either. I've read no more than 1 supplement pill per glass but I guess compared to a pop that seems like a lot.

I guess the main reason why I'm responding is I do not agree the that the government should be allowed to ban anything. If I want to enjoy a pop then I should have that right. Pop isn't hurting you. It's not like you'll get lung cancer when I drink a pop next to you. Why should someone control something that I enjoy now and then.

I also enjoy bottled water. Like hell if I'm going to put my lips anywhere NEAR a public water fountain. Have you seen some of the people walking around loose these days? I'm sorry but the fear for Hep and other viruses doesn't make me want to put my lips near those.

I'll stick to bottled water. They can removed "bottled water" off the shelves when they eliminate all type of plastic packaging altogether. Stop targeting one source, it's silly.

[G-Man]

Exactly! why bottled water and not bamboo shoots in plastic packaging? Or ketchup or Mayonaise. If they were going after plastic packaging in its totality than I may support it but not just one product, it makes no sense.

Personally I try not to buy products in plastic and choose glass instead because I don't think plastic is the safest thing for my body, still that is a personal choice.

It has to be all packaging is bad or none.

[aastra]

Next thing you know they'll be telling us to cut our energy consumption and our pollution while they wage a bunch of crazy wars on the other side of the world. Save the environment by setting an ammonia factory on fire. That sort of thing.