March 10, 2008
Park Slope Co-op Considers Bottled Water Ban
Members of the Park Slope Co-op are expected to vote to eliminate the sale of bottled water this spring. The proposal comes as the environmental costs of bottled water are being widely publicized, including a city advertising campaign encouraging people to forgo bottled water and drink from the tap.
American consumption of bottled water results in more than 22 billion discarded plastic bottles and enormous energy expenditures associated with shipping the water, which is so heavy that the 18 wheelers transporting it cannot be entirely filled.
Advocates of a bottle water ban at the Co-op point to the absurdity of shipping millions of bottles of water from such remote locations as Fiji when New York City is known for having some of the cleanest municipal water in the world. But some recent tests conducted on the city’s water supply may give them pause: minute traces of more than 15 pharmaceuticals have been found in the upstate watershed and closer to home.
If you haven't yet joined the bottled water backlash, like a growing number of New York restaurants, this in-depth article may change your mind about whether the convenience is worth the environmental toll. Here's a cogent examination of the bottled vs. tap debate from the National Resources Defense Council, and a look at what qualifies as bottled water.
Photo: nancyscola
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the smugness of park slopers never ceases to amaze me.
Good. All one needs to do is look at the trash rooms of most New York apartment buildings to see how hypocritical the city is.
.. or smartness.
for once a sensible idea comes out of park slope.
Should this really be called a ban? When a store chooses not to sell a product, is that a ban? Not really. Just because this store is run by its members rather than a corporate board doesn't really change anything.
"But some recent tests conducted on the city’s water supply may give them pause.."
Yeah, maybe, but you're ignoring the fact that a lot of bottled water is simply tap water in a bottle, and that bottled water is not guaranteed to be pure. See your own NRDC link, Chapter 3.
Actually, San Francisco beat Park Slope to the punch by banning bottled water from city offices last year.
People have no idea how much energy is wasted to produce a 4oz bottle of Poland Spring.
My co-worker is sending bottled water to her offspring. Poor thing doesn't want to drink tap water & cannot carry heavy stuff to a 3rd floor walk-up. I really feel her pain.
Bottled water is unethical!
Amusing that this comes right on the heels of the report of municipal water containing traces of all sorts of drugs. The nice thing about buying water from a company is that you'll likely have better luck suing them if their water contains contaminants.
These hippies are a bunch of jibones!
You can make good money selling the stuff.
why do rich trust funders pretend to shun money?
I'm not switching back to tap until I can get adderall-infused tap.
Bottled water is so overpriced, you're foolish to buy it, no matter if its a generic store brand, or some designer brand. Wouldn't matter if I were filthy rich, I'd still refuse to pay $2 and up for a small bottle of water, on principal. Get yourself a bottle, buy a filter for your tap, and fill it at home.
How long until they ban air conditioning, plasma TV sets, pleasure travel, and demand lights off at 10:00? This is a climate emergency! :rolleyes:
I drink tap water at work now, and some people actually chastise me about it! "Ohhh no, don't drink TAP WATER!! I'll get you a bottle of spring water!"