Community & Labour Action
Canada: Councillor seeks bottled-water ban
Posted: July 22, 2008The Province. By Frank Luba -
Putting water in plastic bottles wastes fossil fuels and generates 100 times the toxic emissions of glass bottles. And 80 per cent of waste from plastic bottles ends up in landfills.
Those are some of the reasons Vision Vancouver Coun. Tim Stevenson wants Vancouver city staff to look at the implications of halting the sale or distribution of bottled water by city departments.
"We need to send a signal to all of our citizens and to all of Metro
Vancouver that Vancouver has the best water and therefore we do not need to drink water from bottles," he said.
NPA Coun. Peter Ladner also prefers tap water.
"I'm in favour of reducing the amount of bottled water in our lives and I completely agree we should be drinking tap water because we have such fabulous tap water in our region," Ladner said.
Stevenson's motion also calls for a portion of the money saved to be invested in reusable water containers for employees.
© The Vancouver Province 2008
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Nova Scotia Campaign to Turn on the Tap and Ditch Bottled Water
On December 12th, a provincial campaign on bottled water was launched in Nova Scotia. Click here to read the press release. Click here for Municipal Examples and click here for Municipal Options on bottled water. - Read more
November 17th Bottled Water Free Zones Day of Action: Campaign Summary and Update
On November 17th, seven university campuses participated in a day of action.
Click here - Read more
JOIN THE BOTTLED WATER FREE ZONES CAMPAIGN
Create a bottled water free zone in your classroom, student union, workplace, union local, community centre, City Hall buildings, environmental social justice or faith based group, and more! click here to find out how you can participate in the campaign - Read more
Alternatives to Bottled Water on Campus Organizing bottled water-free events on campus, such as Orientation Week.
Bottled Water FAQ Take the plunge! Frequently asked questions about policies for phasing out bottled water and re-investing in tap water.
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Bottled Water Facts Fact sheets on the environmental, health, social and economic impacts of
the bottled water industry
Municipal Action: Bottled Water Options and Examples Take the Plunge: Materials for Municipal Action on Bottled Water!
For Municipal Options click here
.For Municipal Examples click here
Campaign tools available for order Click hereto find out how to order campaign stickers and pamplets.
Community Organizing Package This package outlines some useful ideas and tools for building a campaign challenging the bottled water industry in Canada. Click here
Letter to Canadian Mayors Click here to download a copy of the letter Polaris Institute sent to 28 Canadian Mayors encouraging them to reconsider municipal expenditures on bottled water
San Francisco Executive Directive Use this example in a campaign to encourage your local government to ban bottled water. Click here for a copy
Student awareness to action kit PART 1
A tool kit to challenge the bottled water industry and beverage exclusivtity contracts at school and on campus
Find part 1 of the kit here
A tool kit to challenge the bottled water industry and beverage exclusivtity contracts at school and on campus
Find part 1 of the kit here
Utility Calculator for Vending Machines Calculate the energy consumption of your institution's vending machines
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Find calculators here