Bundanoon Bans Bottled Water
By
An ecofriendly alternative: stainless steel bottles
Australian Town takes a step towards ecofriendly living by banning bottled water.
In a bold move towards ecofriendly living Bundanoon, a rural Australian town, is proposing a ban on bottled water. Their cute slogan, which promotes ecofriendly living, is “Bundy on Tap”. According to BBC news “more than 350 residents turned out to vote at the public meeting in the town hall. Only one resident voted against the ban, along with a representative from the bottled water industry, ABC news reported.” Why did they make such a drastic move? “Campaigner John Dee said local opinion had been incensed when a drinks company announced plans to tap an underground reservoir in the town.” The small town felt that too many resources would be depleted and that it would negatively impact the environment.
This ban has caused a provocative discussion to erupt, as it even became part of the “Hot Topics” segment on ABC’s daytime talk show The View. The ladies of The View discussed if this form of legislated ecofriendly living was a good thing or if the government was going too far; they all seemed to support the ban. The co-hosts shared how easy ecofriendly living is, its benefits and how a great first step is carrying a sustainable bottle such as the ones Planet Forward sells. The View airs in many markets big and small all over North America and their Hot Topics segment help shed light on hot topics that not everyone is aware of. By talking about reusable bottles it is likely that viewers would become more informed about ecofriendly living and take that first step and buy bottles.
Now, I have to commend the good citizens of Bundanoon, as they have taken a giant leap forward for the green movement. Adults and children will experience life as it was before bottled water took over. What happens to tourists that do not know about the new legislation? Apparently “locals have promised not to set upon visitors if they ignore the ban, but they will be encouraged to fill a reusable container from water fountains in the main street.” It seems that this is well thought out plan, which helps to make the transition easy.
This ban is a daring move in the right direction when it comes to ecofriendly living. Let’s hope other cities big and small follow suit. For now like most of you I will try and always carry my stainless steel bottle with me. Are you carrying your reusable bottle with you?
2 Comments
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:59 am
This small town has created big waves in America and we are all grateful for their courage and foresight. It is an inspiration to those of us who are fighting the battle against the exploitation of our aquifers by the big multi-nationals. WE should stop enabling these corporations by refilling stainless steel bottles from the tap.
This story appeared in the news on the same week as the documentary film “Tapped” debuted in Waterville, Maine. In my state, we have seen the swift reaction of Nestle, owner of the Poland Spring label, with increased advertising, the giving away of free bottles of Poland Spring at events and intimidation tactics of activists.
Last Tuesday a State Trooper came to my house and said that Poland Spring truck drivers reported that I have been trying to “run them off the road.” Activists have been documenting the tankers leaving the state with our groundwater to be bottled in Framingham,Mass. where immigrants provide the company with cheaper labor.
Clearly, Nestle does not want Mainers to know that they are NOT adding
more jobs in Maine, as they boast.
Activists will not be intimidated or deterred! WE encourage readers to join the campaigns of TAKE BACK THE TAP and THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE and show a screening of “Tapped” in your community.
To arrange a screening contact producer Stephanie Soechtig by emailing her at stephanie@atlasfilms.com
Jamilla El-Shafei
SAVE OUR WATER
Kennebunk, Maine
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:48 am
Thanks for your comments Jamilla and for continuing to fight the fight. We too support and encourage tap water drinking at every opportunity. We appreciate you stopping by and lending your opinion and hope you drop by again to share your point of view.
Angela