Ban on bottled water

The township of Bundanoon and the NSW State Government have decided to ban bottled water  (although the State Government is contracted until 2011 to purchase it for staff and offices). They're sick of plastic bottles in landfills and can't see why we can't simply drink water straight from the tap.  Sounds like a "bottler" of an idea but is it really? Here are the pros and cons...

 Pros of banning bottled water

1. Less land fill
2. Uses fewer natural resources
3. Saves money on the purchase
4. Saves money on the disposal
5. Reduces litter
6. Reduces greenhouse gas production.

Cons of banning bottled water

1. People will drink less water
2. Teens will carry soft drink around with them instead of water
3. Kids of all ages will consume more sugar
4. Public servants may consume more caffeine from coffee or tea.

And think about this...

Have the people of Bundanoon banned all drinks in plastic bottles or just water? If water isn't available, I'd argue the sales of soft drink will rise. And what of the public servants who are being asked to drink tap water instead? Will they? Or will they increase their consumption of soft drinks and coffee? That wouldn't be a good health move.

Portable and potable tap water

Most of the tap water in Australia is potable - suitable for drinking. However much of it doesn't taste that great which is why people won't drink it. That's why I use a Brita Water Filter Jug and have done for years. I like their water jugs so much that I've seen the water consumption of my kids increase since I've used their products.