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*Message Body: Honourable John Gerretsen Minister of the Environment Government of Ontario Honourable David Caplan Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal Government of Ontario Dear Minister Caplan and Minister Gerretsen, The environmental impacts of the growing bottled water industry are made very clear through the production, transportation and disposal of plastic bottles: Polyethylene terephtalate (PET) plastic is derived from natural gas and crude oil which are non-renewable resources. The production of PET releases toxic chemicals (e.g. ethylene oxide, benzene, and xylenes) into the atmosphere and the water supply. In addition, to PET production plants themselves release carbon dioxide into the air, a major source of global warming, and sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which are both ingredients that contribute to the formation of acid rain, (Clarke, Inside the Bottle). Trucking bottled water long distances from bottling plants to retail outlets produces greenhouse gases. Finally, most plastic beverage bottles are not being recycled and are actually ending up in landfills where they are buried or burned, releasing yet more dangerous chemicals into the environment. According to an Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) study, in 2002, Ontario had a 35% recycling rate for plastic beverage bottles, one of the lowest rates in the country, and as a result, over 33,000 tonnes of plastic was burned or buried that year alone, releasing toxins into the ground and atmosphere. This is an environmental problem manufactured by the bottled water industry, the costs of which are then being shifted onto municipalities that lack the resources to handle it. In Canada, bottle bills, or container deposit laws, have proven to be highly effective. Recovery rates for non-refillable beverage containers by provinces range from a low of 67% in Newfoundland to 83% in Nova Scotia. The problem in Canada is that most bottle bills or deposit systems only cover beer and carbonated soft drinks, and do not include non-carbonated drinks such as bottled water. The case is very similar with the Province of Ontario’s current Deposit Return Program, announced by your Ministries in December 2006, which only covers alcoholic beverage containers. If the Government of Ontario is truly committed to protecting and improving the environment, as then Environment Minister Laurel Broten stated in February of this year, it should further pledge to expand the scope of the Deposit Return Program. Therefore, we the undersigned call on the Government of Ontario to enact a province-wide bottle bill for all PET plastic bottle beverage containers. Sincerely, Zoe Maggio, Bottled Water Campaigner, Polaris Institute Aaron Freeman, Policy and Campaigns Director, Environmental Defence Anjali Helferty, National Coordinator, Sustainable Campuses, Sierra Youth Coalition Dan McDermott, Director, Sierra Club - Ontario Chapter

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