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Water bottles are the new faux pas

CARLY WEEKS

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 10:28 PM EST 20/08/08

Like the plastic bag before it, plastic bottles are newest focus in fight to reduce waste ...Read the full article

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  1. Overtaxed and underlaid from Canada writes: Bottled water has to be one of the most curious products of the last decade. The marketers have managed to take something which is (1) free and (2) ridiculously convenient, and charge $2/bottle for it.

    And while I can understand paying a (small) premium for true spring-sourced water, many bottled waters are literally tap water off a municipal supply system. Coke's Dasani is one.
  2. Paul C from Toronto, Canada writes: My company sells bottled air.... pure, refreshing bottled air from a natural Canadian source. Starts at $3.50 / bottle.
  3. Royal City Pundit from Canada writes: And Nestles comes from the same ground water source that supplies the City of Guelph. Bottled water is for suckers willing to pay $2 for half a litre but complain about the price of gas.
  4. gordon davies from Victoria B.C., Canada writes: I know its silly to buy bottled water & I have , with a difference. Refilling them & keeping a few 300 ml. bottles in thr fridge to have drink sized portions handy all day, plus safer than a glass.
  5. Stewart Pid from Canada writes: We really need our halfwit politicians legislating whether we can buy a bottle of water. What a waste of time & energy ... these nitwits can't accomplish anything useful so they come up with crap like this.
    Also the time has come to reel in the eco-weinies.
  6. andy c from Canada writes: the arguements are fine and good if you are near a water source. i'll be driving across the country next week (still cheaper then flying) and the only realistic way to keep myself hydrated for the long road trip is sadly a case of water. besides, unlike plastic bags there is a ready made recycling program for the empty bottles (where i live at least)
  7. SusieQ 321 from NoWhereVille, Canada writes: We have had bottled water since I was a kid well over 30 years... why because my brother is allergic to Chlorine and for the time we lived in the city and not on well water it was our only alternative. There are reasons to have bottled water that extend beyond being trendy.
    When you grow up drinking bottled spring water you learn to prefer the taste... I live in the city and my tap water while adequate has a lot of flavours that do not naturally occur in water... even post filtering the resonance is still there. When I want water I want water.. not fluoride and chlorine and all the other stuff they put in it to make it palatable.
  8. Sam Scarfo from Toronto, Canada writes: there are a few things about bottled water. First I think banning the plastic is a great idea and going to glass would be a better alternative. I do drink from the tap at my home, but what worries me is that chemical treating water does not destory all the impurities, not to mention a growing number of studies looking at the amounts of drugs, like anti-depressents as well as estrogen in the water table that chemcial treating does not destory, only the boiling of water can destory these things so i think we need to reconsider the way in which we treat our drinking water before banning bottled water.
  9. M O from Toronto, Canada writes: A lot more kids are developing cavities because they don't drink water with added flouride.
  10. Joseph Whistle from Canada writes: You'd be amazed how good one of those Britta or other generic filters work. Activated carbon filters work wonders. The chlorine taste almost completely disappears.
    If you're completely anal, get a reverse osmosis (RO) filter system built in to you sink. $300 dyi, or, $500 give or take, installed. You could literally piss into your water pipes and the water comes out clean. All the minerals are gone though.
    Get the $10 Britta and be done with it.
    You could buy an even MORE fashionable refillable bottle, with flashing lights and neon colors - and be noticed and cooler even more!
  11. Goodle . from Aurora, Canada writes: i saw a lady at the grocery store yesterday with the PC Green bins so she didn't use plastic bags. but under her cart she had two cases of bottled water!?!
  12. peter jones from Canada writes: well if you want lower gas prices for longer,,we have got to cut out things that mostly just waste Oil and natural gas.

    bottled water is just a big waste of fossil fuel

    Water pumps, bottles, transport, refrigeration, waste collection.

    We can do without it..just like we used to do 30 years ago.
  13. Karen in Canada from Belleville, Canada writes: I wonder if the folks in Walkerton support this idea? The government needs to stay out of the market. If the laws of supply and demand signal extinction of bottled water, so be it. I'll continue to buy it and continue to drink it and continue to recycle the bottles. I'd far rather have my kids buy a bottle of water at school than a bottle of pop.
  14. Bob Duvan from Toronto, Canada writes: I used to consider bottled water a silly waste of money and effort. That was until I noticed starting one winter several years ago, how disgustingly filthy the surface above our water reservoirs were. Once the snow has lain there a few weeks the areas take on the appearance of a manured farmer's field due to the accumulated dog excrement. There is no reason to assume that there is less of the filth on it during the summer, it just disappears into the grass, therefore is less visible. The cowardly slobs and slatterns that make up our city council have signs posted that prohibit dogs from running free in these areas but are too intimidated by the dog lobby to enforce the by-laws. All concrete structures have small cracks that allow liquids to seep through them - so some of the filth runs into our drinking water - it's just too revolting to think of drinking this this stuff.
  15. E W from Canada writes: What ever happened to the good old thermos? They're reusable and it's possible to get ones that don't have plastic in them.

    I drink tap water and avoid plastic bottles because I don't want to absorb the chemicals that leach into the plastic after repeated uses, particularly if the bottle has been very cold or very warm.
  16. Jimmy Savile from Toronto, Canada writes: Paul C: Great point on bottled air! Bottled water sold on the mass scale that it is, is just as ridiculous as trying to sell bottled air. And what do the masses do in this country? They buy right into it. I can understand carrying a big bottle of water around if you're traveling in a third world country where the water is undrinkable, but as the story states, our tap water is safe and any tainted water situations are isolated and rare. I hope the industry eventually fizzles, realizing it will require critical thinking from consumers - may be a stretch.
  17. P Conner from toronto, Canada writes: gordon davies from Victoria B.C., Canada writes: I know its silly to buy bottled water & I have , with a difference. Refilling them & keeping a few 300 ml. bottles in thr fridge to have drink sized portions handy all day, plus safer than a glass.
    Beware re-using plastic bottles designed for single use. The plastic breaks down and leaches into your water. Buy glass or stainless steel and cut the plastic industry out of your life.
    And for people claiming they have a great recycling system in their municipality, I guess they don't realize that the blue box was invented and sold by the plastics industry to ensure greater use of their product. It is expensive and wasteful to recycle plastic.
  18. Josephine B. from Canada writes: To Sam Scarfo: Boiling water will kill organisms that cause E.Coli (for example), but it will NOT destroy any pharmaceuticals in your water.
  19. Josephine B. from Canada writes: Sorry I should say 'will kill organisms such as E.Coli'
  20. mats naslund from Canada writes: It really is incredible that bottled water companies have convinced people that the same municipal water is cleaner in bottled form. Good for London for pushing for this. Lets hope that it actually passes. London's politicians are notorious for caving at the first sign of pressure.
  21. Tyler Phillips from Seattle, writes: Karen in Canada from Belleville, Canada writes: I wonder if the folks in Walkerton support this idea? T

    What an ignorant comment. Bottled water is subject to less regulation and inspection than tap water. There is no reason to trust it anymore than tap water. Dasani, for example, uses municipal water from Lake Ontario just like most GTA cities. Nestle uses the same source as the City of Guelph.

    Do you let isolated incidents alter all of your decisions?

    I also heard someone died on the highway this weekend. I guess it's time to park your car.
  22. I Used to vote Liberal .... but I'm older and WISER now! from Canada writes: Once the bottled water fad has passed all these people who seem to have money to burn will find another fad to waste it on.

    We 'Brita' our water and keep both the Brita and a water jug in our fridge at all times. Municipal water is just fine! Why pay good money for water from the faucet of another city??
  23. Ralph Shiell from Canada writes: I must be missing something. Why is carrying a bottle of water a faux pas, but the same can not be said for bottled pop, which also contributes to ill health and death rates through increased levesl of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity rates? What's up?
  24. Anthony B from Maritimes, Canada writes: In fact, two of the most popular brands - Dasani and Aquafina - use water from municipal water supplies in Canada.

    Wonder how many of those cool, 'fashion statement' people flaunting their designer water bottles are simply re-filling them repeatedly with tap water?
  25. I Used to vote Liberal .... but I'm older and WISER now! from Canada writes: Ralph Shiell - 'What's up?' You can't get soda pop from a faucet but you sure can get water. Water that is every bit as good as what too many people are wasting money on when they buy bottled water. How many $Billions have been sent to France for evian or perrier?? What a joke!
  26. Gary Dale from Toronto, Canada writes: It's been a long time coming. Consumers groups have been warning people about the problems with bottled water for almost two decades now. And environmentalists have been voicing concerns about the problems with packaging since bottled water came onto the market.

    If even a small portion of the money wasted on bottled water went into municipal coffers for infrastructure improvement or went to foreign aid to ensure that people around the world had access to the kind of clean, safe water we take for granted, we'd all be a lot better off. Instead you get airheads shelling out outrageous amounts for water while complaining about taxes.

    And no, the people of Walkerton don't want bottled water. They want, and now have, a safe municipal supply.
  27. Ralph Shiell from Canada writes: I Used to vote Liberal... thanks for your reply.

    Since when did we start to legislate against 'jokes', and ignore things that cause thousands of deaths a year? Or is this simply vacuous politics?
  28. Sybil Jackson from Gravenhurst, Canada writes: I like my water cold so I freeze a plastic bottle. I put the same plastic bottle in the dishwasher. Unfortunately I keep reading about how dangerous these practices are. I had to pay $2 for a bottle at the theatre last week because the water fountain was broken. It seems that public water fountains and pay telephones will both become obsolete. I know that's another topic but my perfectly good analog cell phone can no longer be used.

    If anyone has found a practical and reuseable glass bottle I'd love to hear about it.
  29. Guy from Orillia ! from Toronto, Canada writes: EVIAN = NAIVE, spelled backwards. Buy a BPA free hard plastic water bottle, leave it at your desk, refill it at the water cooler or at the tap - you'll never buy a bottled water again.
    Now if only my wife would drink from the tap...
  30. J Albert from Toronto, Canada writes: It's surely better for the environment and one's health to drink bottled water than it is to drink soft drinks.

    Tap water is safe - but it is chlorinated and doesn't taste good unless refrigerated. Many people like to drink water that isn't so cold.

    The proposed ban on bottled water is beyond stupid.
  31. Bert Fegg from Canada writes: Bottled water and Cell Phones. Think about it.

    ~FEGG
  32. Rollo T from Belgium writes: Bottled water nazis, good grief, what's next?
  33. cindy webster from Victoria, Canada writes: I drink tap water that has gone through a filter at home and at work, but when my husband and I go camping I buy a case of bottled water (about 15-30 cents/bottle depending on whether it's on sale). The reason: most campgrounds have terrible tasting water, which ruins the taste of tea and sometimes can even overpower coffee. There are also some municipalities whose water is safe, but has a strong alkali taste. I really can't blame people in those communities for buying bottled water...but if they're paying a dollar a bottle or more, they're foolish.
  34. Michael Taylor from Victoria, Canada writes: When we mass produce water for drinking there becomes side issues. Is bottle water one of them? When we process water we change it. It is basically stripped of any fine or course nutrients but the overall use is still possible. We all need water to wash, clean, eat, and drink. Some people like to use natural water from springs, but these must be tested and monitored. We are learning more about the way we use and abuse drinking water all the time.
  35. L F from Canada writes: That's the one great common factor about so called environmentalists. It's not enough to make ones own decisions in a free country, they like to ostracise people who don't agree For 20 years we have had reusable grocery bags and never spay our garden rather hand pick the weeds so as not to infringe on our neighbours rights. We water our garden with water from our dehumidifier and all our lights have been on dimmers for the last 15 years but lo and behold we are bad people because I drink bottled water. I live in a very green neighbourhood and when I go out for walks at night all the conservationists have almost all their lights on in their houses. They hate grass too although it’s been proven to be a great air filter and erosion stopper. Whatever is trendy at the moment is what most people will think. That I’m afraid is the era we live in. Guelph has a fountain downtown in our city centre. The amount of garbage and spit in it is enough to make me sick. I will never again use public facilities after witnessing what I have over the last few years. Maybe we could start legislating manners and courtesy first and then moves on to the next great cause of all the WalMart naysayers. Yes people there is a difference between the bottled water and the city’s water. For 23 years I have reacted to Guelph's water with rashes on my face. No one knows what it is but I don’t get rashes from bottled water. Could it be the fluoride?
  36. Bill Garrison from Tuttle, Oklahoma, United States writes: I can see nothing wrong with bottled water except the bottlers are making a fortune on a substance that falls free from the sky.
    That being said, there was a time when bottled soft drinks all came in refillable, recycled glass containers. They WERE heavy and inconvienent to return for the deposit the bottlers charged but they did not end up in the landfills, and, when broken, were very dangerous.
    A good compromise: How about canned water? The aluminum cans are completely recyclable and have liners in them prevent 'canned' taste.
  37. Chrissy Simon from Canada writes: I sometimes buy bottled water for myself and my children. I don't buy it so I can flaunt the bottles to look trendy. I buy bottled water because my kids and I don't drink pop, and water is the healthiest thing to drink. At home we drink tap water, but when we're out I'm not sending my children into a public restroom to try and drink from the tap in there. The few water fountains we see these days are also pretty questionable regarding cleanliness, and I wouldn't want my kids drinking from those, either. If bottled water sales are banned, we'll either become dehydrated or switch to sugary juice which is a bit healthier than pop. I say ban unhealthy sodas which also impact the environment as they come in bottles and require transport, and leave the water drinkers alone.
  38. Angry West Coast Canuck from Canada writes: We just fill a 19litre carboy with tap water, turn it upside down on a dispenser, and boom, there's my 'spring water'. The chlorine evaporates in a few hours, and the water tastes better than ANY bottled water I've ever tried.

    The whole bottled water thing is nothing more than a ripoff, as well as the first step towards privatised water control. Having corporations whose first duty is to their shareholders, not to the locals, in charge of such an important resource makes my skin crawl.
  39. dee jay from Canada writes:
    They make a good point. Buying water in little plastic containers is kind of dumb when our taxes pay for tap water that is drinkable.

    I am guilty of buying bottled water sometimes though. I hold onto the bottle and refill it with tap water several dozen times.
  40. Peter V from Calgary, Canada writes: Bottled water is such a waste. The office fridge is full of it even though we have an in sink filtration system (which I would imagine is reverse osmosis). I just bring in my refillable water bottle and fill it up. I don't flaunt it Anthony B, but yes, my expensive 'designer' water bottle does get filled up with tap water and tap water only.
  41. Rick Drysdale from Canada writes: Yes we are gullible.
    We elect people who stick their noses into every aspect of our lives if we let them.

    How about getting our roads and other infrastructure operating properly before you go off on a rant about water bottles.

    The water in Canada may for the most part be fine but I have a water bottle I reuse and fill from a tap whenever I need to.

    The water quality here is not always that good.

    Please get on with what we elected you for and stop the gd social engineering.
  42. Rick Drysdale from Canada writes: Peter V from Calgary
    Instead of imagining , why not check it out. I would bet its not reverse osmosis and just a charcoal filter.

    This is an example of why people are so gullible .
  43. Chris Williams from Canada writes: I can remember working in the late 80s in a gourmet food store and the biggest joke was that people would actually buy water - Evian was of course the water to buy then. My how things have changed.

    You need to remember though that prior to us all buying bottled water, there were water drink fountains everywhere. There aren't any to be found anymore. Also, for some reason, it seems that today we can't survive any more than an hour without drinking some sort of fluid. It's nuts - but its true. We seem to be an awfully thirsty bunch.

    But please people, let's not get judgmental and smug about this. I am all for supporting the environment and making green changes. Change though takes time. The greatest change that I think that we can all take is to just reduce our need and desire to consume. This will require a fundamental change in our mindset and culture that quite frankly, I don't think that many of us are willing to commit to.

    Just look around for goodness sakes. Our homes are bigger and filled with more stuff, we drive more, travel more, eat more, buy more, have more clothing in our closets right now than our great grandparents would have had their entire lives, have almost a one-use mentality towards electronics, and have defined value by how much we make and how much things cost.

    I think that we have more work to do than just stop drinking bottled water. Baby steps are positive steps though.
  44. melissa wiebe from Abbotsford, BC, writes: For long trips, its very handy. One doesn't exactly know when you are going to get water, and especially with the water quality in my area that is questionable, I do prefer it, especially when I am on a trip or going somewhere. I don't exactly trust the quality of the water in the area, especially since the water comes from an aquafer.
  45. Peter V from Calgary, Canada writes: I just realized that Anthony B was probably referring to those ridiculously expensive mineral waters, not the current trend in refillable steel and aluminum water bottles... oops.
  46. Christine Mac from Calgary, Canada writes: Granted there are those who buy bottled water for the 'cachet' or who are just plain lazy, but there are other reasons too.

    - Flouride in most of our public water supplies makes a lot of people sick, so if they're out & about is their only choice going to become pop? Now there's a public health battle ground!
    - Chlorine is equally nasty. I can't drink the tap water straight here in Calgary because of the insane levels of chlorine. I haven't resorted to bottled water - I installed a filtration system in my house & have a Nalgene bottle that goes everywhere with me (filled up at home first).
    - Municipal supplies are NOT always perfect! Every year or two there are boil water advisories in the smaller towns around Calgary because of flooding that their systems can't handle... and boiling doesn't get rid of the silt.
    - Anybody remember Walkerton?

    Yes, the last 2 are primarily small town/city problems... but aren't those the places that this sort of BS starts?
  47. Dave LeBlanc from Canada writes: How often do cities provide public water fountains where people can have a drink of water? Does anybody pop inside restaurants and only ask for free water ? When I go for a jog and drink my bottle, if I need MORE water, I'll buy a bottle.
  48. vanessa stirling from Canada writes: Chrissy Simon, I wouldn't send my kids into a public bathroom to drink water either, but that doesn't mean that I buy water or other stuff. I bring a bottle from home, either a BPA free one or a stainless steel one (we have both) or both, and when the kids are thirsty, I pull them out. It's easy and it's always available. The bottled water industry is completely unnecessary (as is the pop industry, I'd have to say).

    SusieQ, chlorine evaporates out of water over time. If you let the water sit for 24 hours, most of the chlorine is gone. Cities like Vancouver rarely chlorinate the water and other cities are moving towards ozone-based water treatment. Your brother should have an easier time soon.
  49. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: .

    Canada makes really good wine.

    So perhaps the next logical step in this will be to ban the sale of European wines in government run liquor stores...

    .
  50. Farm Girl from Onoway, Canada writes: While I appreciate the argument about municipal water sources and providing water to all, not everyone in Canada lives in a municipality. Those of us (forgotten) rural dwellers need to provide our own water, and while a well can sometimes provide drinking water, to ensure consistently potable water many rely on bottled water.
  51. Snowed in in Barrie from Canada writes: I agree with Ralph Schiell. Pop bottles and cans need just as much energy to transport, and they fill your body with sugar and mystery substances: glucose/fructose, artificial flavors and colours, anyone. I'll stick to buying water when I'm out and thirsty, thanks.
  52. Jesu Pifco from Canada writes: Bottled municipal tapwater you say? Not so hasty.
    Every day a big stainless steel tanker truck rolls out of the Vancouver area and drives 160 km up Hwy. 99 to fill up from an aquifer just north of Pemberton BC. It then travels the 160 km back to the bottling plant where bottles and carboys are filled. Then a fleet of trucks are loaded and some of the water is trundled BACK up to stores in Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton, communities with excellent municipal water. Cool, eh?
  53. smart guy from Canada writes: So is it more environmentally friendly to buy bottle coke or pespi instead of bottled water. No. Do more people recycle coke or pespi bottles over water bottles. No. Is it healthier to drink bottled water over any Pop Product. Yes.

    I love how the environmentalists criticize people for a healthy life choice. I mean who cares if it is tap water and expensive, pure and simple it is healthier to drink water than drinking carbonated syrup.

    Yes, people should recycle their bottles, but education is a lot smarter than banning a healthy product.
  54. Peter V from Calgary, Canada writes: Rick Drysdale, you'd be surprised. It is reverse osmosis. I'm not that gullible.
  55. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: .

    The energy-consuming shipping over the ocean of European wines is such a waste.

    Toronto can from now on get all its wine from the nearby Naiagara region, and Vancouver can get all its wine from the Okanagan region.

    Energy-wasting people who buy European wines ought to receive disdainful looks of disgust from their fellow Canadians.

    .
  56. Jesu Pifco from Canada writes: Speaking of Evian, a little anecdote:
    A French acquaintance of mine told me of how his father used to brag about drinking large amounts of mineral water every day 'for his health'. Now the poor old gent suffers from kidney stones. Drinking high calcium carbonate laden 'mineral water' isn't quite the 19th century-vintage 'cure' it was touted to be.
  57. Nick Rivers from Canada writes: I'd agree, if you are drinking bottled water at home, you are probably being irresponsible. That is something I intend to fix in my own household, but I haven't yet decided the best course of action: bottled water dispenser, filtered water dispenser, or an under-the-sink filter.

    We've tried those on-the-tap filters, and they work great...for a while. Then the hard water clogs them up, and every time you remove the plasic apparatus to clean it out, you wear out the seal.

    Outside the home, bottled water should be permissible. People during their daily routines (i.e. work) should use re-fillable containers. Otherwise, a bottle of Aquafina is much better than a bottle of Coke or Pepsi.
  58. Mike from Van from Vancouver, Canada writes: I don't think banning it is the answer. If people are stupid enough to pay for it, that's their problem. What pisses me off is going to a concert and being told I can't bring my refillable water bottle in - then they charge $4 for a 500ml bottle of water and in really anal places like the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto they won't even let you keep the cap. With this kind of systemic stupidity our society will never solve ANY problems.
  59. Tom h from Edmonton, Canada writes: andy c:

    Are you serious???? My my, the industry must just love people like you who can't think for themselves - just buy a re-fillable bottle and fill it up whenever you stop for a break!
  60. Wandering Willy from Kelowna, Canada writes: One of the first things I bought when I moved to Kelowna was a Water cooler and have never regretted it. The whole family now drinks a ton more water and we never leave the house without a water bottle each.
  61. Jason Estevao from Canada writes: I work for a bottled water company (low level - i don't make decisions or anything)...before you jump all over me, consider: Resources: 1. it takes 1.4 litres of water to make 1 litre of water, including packaging 2. it takes 3 litres of water to make 1 litre of pop, including packaging 3. it takes 42 litres of water to make 1 litre of beer, including packaging What is more wasteful of our resources? our society is all about convenience and people are willing to pay for it. So maybe it does need to stop - but why pick on one industry over another? people pay a premium for beer because they like the taste (i'm one of those people), but why hate on people who prefer botteld water to tap water? One person is not better than another. Either way, a service is being provided and there is an upcharge for it - you either want to pay for it or not. but don't force others to do it as well. Cost: Bottled water is less than $0.15 to buy in a grocery store - people who buy it in stores and restaurants for $2 do it because they want to pay for convenience. it's like everything else, buy it at the grocery store and it will be cheaper - buy it anywhere else and you'll pay through the nose. Environment: Can the industry improve? ofcourse. do we need 500ml bottles? No - we as consumers could adopt larger bottles or request cans. In the end, Manufacturers will go to where the market wants because they want to stay in business - that's why we live in a free market. But be careful what you wish for - you may just get it.
  62. Charles Murray from Toronto, Canada writes: First of all, drinking water is overrated. The bottling companies were probably behind the idea that you had to drink several litres of water daily. The fact is that food provides most of our daily water needs.
    There will always be people who need to drink bottled water because of chlorine allergies and fluoride phobia. That's fine. The rest of us should drink from the tap. Municipalities are right not to support this largely bogus industry that is in direct competition with the public water supply and has a vested interest in casting doubt on it.
  63. Jeff Kelly from Kitchener, Canada writes: Where did all the shills for the bottled water industry come from?

    This is a no brainer. 20 years ago, the 'bottled water' industry didn't exist. You were thirsty? You got a glass of water. FREE.

    It isn't about 'Oh, this is a better option than pop'... Of course water is better than pop. WATER. Not Bottled Water. Drink it from the tap. You can get free water just about anywhere.

    If you're going out somewhere with no free water (like hiking), take water from home with you. Tap water. Fill a canteen / reuseable bottle.

    The idea of paying for a free substance (In one of the most water-blessed countries on the planet) is insane, and the industry must be laughing all the way to the bank.
  64. David Kanaschwiiz from Switzerland writes: Stewart Pid: 'We really need our halfwit politicians legislating whether we can buy a bottle of water. What a waste of time & energy ... these nitwits can't accomplish anything useful so they come up with crap like this. Also the time has come to reel in the eco-weinies.' Flights and restaurants didn't go non-smoking because customers demanded it - regulators made it so and we're all glad. Drivers didn't demand seatbelts or airbags - manufacturers were dragged kicking and screaming by politiciants into providing them. Just because only idiots buy bottled water doesn't mean gov't shouldn't put an obstacle in their way. So yes, in answer to your rhetorical question, what you call 'half-wit politicians' (democratically elected representives) should make decisions on behalf of the community that appointed them. It's the public buying bottled water that's half-witted, not the politicians. The best way to do it would be to price them properly by including the full cost (transportation's carbon footprint, recycling, manufacturing, etc. etc.) in the price. If people really want to pay $5 for a glass of what comes out of the tap, well that's a tax on the stupid. BTW: please refrain from lazy and easy pot-shots at politicians. It will be harder to attract good people to that job if 'weinies' keep using it as a pejorative.
  65. Art Vandelai from Burlington, Canada writes: I'm looking forward to ending the practice of using water bottles and having a reverse osmosis filter installed at the tap.

    Does anyone know how the water manufacturers manage to filter out all of the added chemicals (such as chlorine and flouride) that are put in the municipal water?

    I think they do a better job of filtration than your average Brita filter as the bottled stuff does taste much less disgusting than the municipal supply, filtered or not. Maybe its just conditioned tastes, however we know that tap water can kill the fish in our pond due to the chlorine. I can only imagine what that stuff is doing to humans who consume it every day, although I'm sure a bit of chlorine is not as deadly as e-coli.
  66. Bob Loblaw from vancouver, Canada writes: The Opus Hotel in Vancouver has recreational (read: air), not medical-grade, bottled oxygen as part of the rooms' mini bar offerings. Break the seal to use and it costs $15. Take the bottle home with you and get dinged for $75. The only possible way this would ever be useful is if a tsunami washes over the city and necessitates a short stint of improvised SCUBA.
  67. Biff Wellington from Toronto, Canada writes: People have the insane compulsion to justify irrational acts with rational arguments.

    Face it, buying bottled water is just for convenience. It has nothing to do with taste, with the rare exceptions of municipal water actually not meeting Environment Canada standards. Consumers are simply too damn lazy to refill a bottle with tap water and stick it in the fridge to cool, taking it out when they leave the house, refilling it when they get back.

    Up until the last 20 or so years, civilization managed to get along just fine without Evian, Dasani, Aquafina, blah blah blah. There are literally millions of people in this world that would give everything they had to get access to clean water that Canadians turn their snooty noses up to. Yet these same consumers also protest genetic crop engineering, and advocate 'organic' food. There are 8 billion people on this planet - without GCE we'd only produce enough food to feed 6 billion - who is gonna line up first to sacrifice themselves for the sake of organic farming and free range chicken nuggets?

    I've had the displeasure of living in an area that had disgusting tap water. You could fill a glass of tap water, sit it on the counter and come back an hour later and see 1/4' of sediment on the bottom of the glass. I've lived in areas of the world where the local water was not potable at all. In EXTREME circumstances, for the sake of your own (and your family) health, bottled water makes sense. But my God, people, get a goddamn clue.
  68. J W from Canada writes: Sybil Jackson writes: If anyone has found a practical and reusable glass bottle I'd love to hear about it.

    My personal fave - the Grolsch swing-top beer bottle. Solid, reusable glass design (no metal or plastic taste) plus a durable built-in cork. Buy yourself a four-pack and a bottle brush to clean them out (after enjoying the beer first!), and get ready for a water experience par excellence!
  69. Arthur Cross from Toronto, Canada writes: Better that people drink bottled water than bottled Coca Cola or some other soft drink. When I'm at home, I drink tap water, and when I'm out, I usually buy either a bottled water or a Sprite/Ginger Ale.

    If I go for the water, it's not that I think it's any better than tap water, (I'm not paying the $1-$2 for just the water), I'm paying for the convenience.

    If it costs so much to recycle the bottles... that should be made to factor into the costs of all bottled drinks (if it doesn't already). Don't punish me for the content of my plastic bottle, punish me for using the plastic bottle.

    Because... really...Does it make any sense to ban bottled water but not bottled fizzy sugar-water?
  70. Antonio San from Canada writes: Next the same 'democrats' will dictate what we eat, how and when... Meanwhile, boiling water advisories, fluoride etc... and oh yes, preparedness in case of emergency. Throw all this and get sick so the world's best universal health care system can take care of you in 6 months. Canada's ecofachos have alwasy a reason to control others...
  71. Pelotas Piquen from Morningwood, Mb., Canada writes: Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: 'The energy-consuming shipping over the ocean of European wines is such a waste.'...
    I think I've read that it is more energy efficient for someone in New York to get a bottle of European wine (transported by ship) that from California (transported by truck). And yes... wine made in update New York is better than either of those.
  72. Stephen Dedalus from Canada writes: When I was a kid in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I can't remember my mother ever expressing concern that I wasn't adequately 'hydrated.' And guess what? I overcame that, and managed to reach adulthood with few deformities.

    If you're going to buy bottled water, for the love of sweet Moses, please recycle the bottles.
  73. all good from qubekistan, Canada writes: how about 10c deposit on every bottle? I am sure you will never find one in the dich.
  74. Chrissy Simon from Canada writes: Vanessa Stirling, I don't always remember to pack a reuseable bottle of tap water when we're getting ready to go out for the day, and sometimes we're just out longer than we'd planned to be or for some other reason, the kids just end up thirsty. There are so many unhealthy, overweight kids around these days drinking pop. I'd much rather encourage parents to present a healthier option to their children, rather than making it less convenient to drink water when one is not at home. Bottled pop is just as bad for the environment as bottled water, yet the water is a much healthier option. It just doesn't make sense to make it harder for people to pick up a healthy drink, but leave all the chemical-laden sugary drinks alone.
  75. al rain from Calgary, writes: An issue I haven't seen raised here yet (although I haven't read all the posts) is the offensiveness of being conditioned to believe that water is a commodity that must be purchased (and typically from a large company like Coke). Wake up! Water does not belong to the corporations, it belongs to the citizens. Don't purchase your water and don't be a victim to the marketing.
  76. Leon Russell from Gatineau, Qc, Canada writes: this is terrific. i'm sure I'm not the first person to have noticed that as bottled water became popular, water fountains began disappearing and cities stopped maintaining theirs properly. It's a pattern. The cell-phone saw the disappearance of the phone booth, the automatic grocery store check-out means fewer cashiers and baggers, bank machines eliminated service at banks, etc. Generally we go along with it like the sheep we are as we love to see corporations make oodles of money on our backs. Nice to see this for a change.
  77. Tracy Bracy from Toronto, Canada writes: What????? My tap water tastes like metal! Bottled water is all we consume. NO way will people start drinking tap water. These facilities must be regularily inspected!!! Bottled water will never leave our homes.
  78. My eyes are open, Are yours? from Canada writes: The chlorine evaporates off if you leave a jug of tap water sitting for a few hours, in the fridge or on the counter.

    WHat is it with people that can't go a few hours without a water supply? Very few places in Canada (especially this year) resemble the desert. Just have a drink before you leave home. People who participate in vigorous sports generally seem to know how to keep themselves hydrated (and did before the bottled-water thing started).

    I'm all for keeping the bottled water scam going, just slap a vice tax on it like cigarettes or booze. And put one on soft drinks too, while you're at it.
  79. andy c from Canada writes: Tom h: 14 hour drive at night, i think i'll stick with my case of water which i purchased on sale. other then the long road trips i rarely drink bottle water.
  80. Art Vandelai from Burlington, Canada writes: My eyes are open, Are yours? from Canada writes: I'm all for keeping the bottled water scam going, just slap a vice tax on it like cigarettes or booze. And put one on soft drinks too, while you're at it.

    Totally agree, but why not just make it completely product neutral and charge a levy for any and all packaging that isn't returned to the manufacturer. Why should society bear the cost for cleaning up after the packaging decision of retailers/manufacturers? Maybe then you might have more options to save money and conserve materials, such as bringing your own refillable containers to the store instead of having to use a plastic one every time.
  81. Robert Theriault from Toronto, writes: I think C.S. Lewis said it best, 'Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.&8221;

    I'm sure the folks in Walkerton, Ontario know the value of bottled water. And what about those who'd like a non-chlorinated/flouridated/iron oxide resplendent (from rusty water mains) option? All of this is beside the point, however. It's simply another example of government legislating the lastest environmental fad to force a certain behaviour where its lazy arguments couldn't. If there was no market for bottled water, no one would be offering it. What's next? Why not ban juice and pop? There's an obesity 'epidemic' in this country right?
  82. Derek L from Toronto, Canada writes: Get a Brita filter for your tap. They work miracles.
  83. Rollo T from Bofferdink, Belgium writes: Well, much as I recommend the beer, like Bofferdink, from Luxemb(o)urg, the water in Brussels I do not. Like the calcified clogged Roman acquaducts, we have really hard water in our commune. Bottled water is essential, as evident by the abundant supply everywhere. The little bottles are particularly handy while walking getting around on hot days, hydrating. Here all bottles are 100% recyclable PEET Plastic. My preference is Vittel.

    Were beer and wine not so excellent, varied, abundant and cheap, I could envy you all in Canada, especially those who get to drink cold, deep water, like around the 4 Great Lakes. Why drink anything else?
  84. Leon Russell from Gatineau, Qc, Canada writes: Robert Theriault from Toronto, writes: ' I think C.S. Lewis said it best, 'Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. ' The public does not want to pay for land fills and for the pollution. Your freedom is to drink bottled water. Our is not to have to clean up after you. As for the junk that is in some city water, of course that's another battle. Starting with eliminating fluoride. But if you have been paying attention, the biggest-selling bottled water comes out the tap anyway. C.S. Lewis should think things out a little more before spouting off.
  85. Leon Russell from Gatineau, Qc, Canada writes: Rollo T from Bofferdink, Belgium writes: 'Well, much as I recommend the beer, like Bofferdink, from Luxemb(o)urg, the water in Brussels I do not. ' Here's my idea for you guys: Tax the bejeezus out of bottled water sales and use the money to improve your municipal water supplies.
  86. Iain Scott from Canada writes: As long as the plastic bottles are recycleable with a worthwhile deposit (say, 10 cents like beer cans) there should be no issue. Glass is not an acceptable alternative - just another source for broken glass at the beach. So the alternative material would be aluminum. Personally, I prefer the tap, but being from Calgary there are no taste issues. And for those ranting about flouride I have news for you - flouride occurs in water naturally in some areas, that's how they discovered its beneficial effects.
  87. Vickky Angstrom from Canada writes:

    Imagine if everyone drank tap water and lobbied for safe drinking water for all. The Council of Canadians is working to make water a commons and a basic human right and is worth joining for this reason alone.

    http://www.canadians.org/

    An annual membership is much cheaper than buying bottled water and will secure our water for future generations.
  88. Robert Theriault from Toronto, writes: Leon Russell from Gatineau, Qc, Canada writes: 'But if you have been paying attention, the biggest-selling bottled water comes out the tap anyway.' Pop and beer among many other drinks are made with municipally supplied water, do you want to ban thos too? What is it about bottled water that gets people seething? Is it because it's a rip-off or creates too much waste? If we start banning things that are a rip-offs or end up in landfills, there wouldn't be anything left. If you want to take shots at our consumerist society than by all means do so. I, however, have a problem when it is done so under the guise of environmentalism. Those who would like to revert back to a hunter/gatherer or agrarian society are free to do so. I'll take a pass.
  89. Gary Dale from Toronto, Canada writes: Gee people, I'm so sorry that regulations are taking away your right to damage the environment, pollute the air and water, shoot people who disagree with you and all those other things that you feel you need to do in order to make life worthwhile. However, we live in a society where we need rules to establish how we deal with each other and regulations to ensure that our actions don't harm others.

    The simple fact is that there are a lot of things that, if we do them in large enough numbers, create a problem. Containers and packaging for common items are a good example. One little plastic bottle is not an environmental problem. Millions of them are. As the song goes, everything counts in large amounts.

    As the world's population races toward the 7 billion mark on its way to 10 - 12 billion before levelling off, we've got to accept the fact that we can't go on the way we've been doing. There is a huge plastic wasteland in the middle of the Pacific right now, caused by our careless use of plastics. That trumps your right to bolster Coke's profits by buying a product you don't need.

    Strangely, I've managed to live for 55 years without buying bottled water - the last 20 without canned/bottled pop. Frankly, I don't know how you can stand the plastic taste it seems to have. It's a product we don't need and would certainly be better off without.
  90. Steve Not an Alberta Redneck from Calgary, Canada writes: Its the 'little' things that add up that kill most people on their budget. Their attitude is usually that 'I deserve it' but they never consider the annual impact.

    Many years ago, I started out in a rather poor paying job - $13,000 a year while my classmates were lucky enough to snag similar jobs at $18 or 19K. They were always complaining about being broke while I was saving $1000s. Finally I called one on it and analyzed their spending. It was the little things that add up that broke his budget since we were essentially the same on the big ticket items.

    There are so many such things today, such as cell phones, that didn't exist then. The problem must be even greater. A couple of Starbucks and a couple of water a day plus not brown bagging it and you're talking real money. However, all these types want is a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.

    And the logic about the source of this 'pure' water is just to 'yucky' to contemplate. Such types are really the creation of the advertisers.
  91. Alex MacLean from Toronto, Canada writes: Bob Duvan: see the first post. If you don't like municipal water, then don't buy it repackaged with added plastic. Bottled water is a scam.

    Toronto chickened out when someone started yelling 'tax on water, tax on water'!. No. Tax on commodification of water. Funny how a ten or fifteen cent tax on water is unacceptable but some people don't feel that taking something free and selling it is. But it is the 'consumer' who can dictate this one. Don't buy the stuff.
  92. No Name Economist With Different Ideas from Beaver Dam, Canada writes: In case you have not heard the latest craze in the states is pre frozen water bottles. The ice melts and you have cool water for hours on a hot day. I thought I invented that when I left a couple of bottles in the trunk of my car in the winter. LOL

    Apparently it is all the rage. The kicker is there is actually less water in the bottle to accommodate the expansion when the water is frozen and they charge more per bottle. (I'm hoping they are using the correct plastic)
  93. Robert Theriault