Bottled water ban facts for kids

Bottled water bans are rules that stop or limit the sale and use of plastic water bottles. These bans are put in place by cities, towns, or universities. They aim to help the environment. People worry about wasted resources, pollution from transport, plastic trash, and harm to water sources.

The University of Leeds in the United Kingdom was one of the first to ban bottled water sales in 2008. This applied to their cafes and shops. In 2009, the small town of Bundanoon, New South Wales in Australia became the first town worldwide to ban bottled water. Later, Washington University in St. Louis was the first U.S. university to ban single-use plastic water bottles. By late 2016, over 80 schools and universities globally had similar bans. Cities like San Francisco, California, also banned bottled water in their facilities.

Why Ban Bottled Water?

Using plastics is common because they are easy and cheap. However, they cause big problems for our planet and our health.

Plastics are made from fossil fuels. Getting and using these fuels harms the environment. Also, plastics do not break down easily. A plastic bottle can take 450 years to disappear.

Too much plastic ends up in our oceans. About 8 million tons of plastic go into the ocean every year. This creates huge areas of trash, like the Great Pacific garbage patch. Scientists think that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans.

Some people worry about chemicals in plastics. For example, Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in some plastics. However, claims about these chemicals causing serious health issues like cancer are often exaggerated.

Because of these environmental concerns, some governments want to ban single-use plastic water bottles. This helps reduce pollution and promotes a greener way of living.

Bans in Different Places

Australia's Bottled Water Ban

In 2009, the town of Bundanoon in Australia made history. Its people voted to be the first town in the world to ban bottled water. They did this because a company wanted to take water from their local water source. The ban stopped the sale of bottled water in the town.

Bundanoon's shops and cafes removed bottled water. Now, the town has public drinking fountains. They also have filtered water dispensers. People can fill up their own reusable water bottles there. Empty reusable bottles are sold in stores instead of full ones. This ban got a lot of attention from the news.

Canada's City-Wide Bans

Many cities in Canada have banned bottled water on their own properties. These include Ajax, Burlington, London, and Toronto. Toronto, Canada's biggest city, approved a ban in 2008. It started in January 2012. This ban stops the sale and giving out of water bottles in most city parks and buildings.

United States Bans

In 2011, New Haven, Connecticut, stopped using city money to buy bulk bottled water.

In June 2007, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom started a plan to stop using water bottles in the city. Public events with over 100 people could be fined up to $500 for giving out water bottles. San Francisco is one of the largest cities to do this. To help people get water, San Francisco started a "Drink Tap Program." This program puts outdoor water refilling stations around the city. In 2014, San Francisco banned the sale of plastic water bottles smaller than 21 ounces. This was widely supported because only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled in the U.S.

In May 2015, Brookline, Massachusetts, also banned spending town money on single-use plastic water bottles for offices. They also made restaurants offer tap water for free if asked.

Retail Store Bans

Concord, Massachusetts, was the first town in the U.S. to ban the sale of single-serving plastic water bottles. This happened on April 26, 2012. The ban started on January 1, 2013. An 84-year-old woman named Jean Hill worked hard to make this happen.

The ban means stores cannot sell non-sparkling, non-flavored water in plastic bottles smaller than 1 liter (34 ounces). This applies to bottles with the recycling symbol number 1 (PET or PETE). Flavored water and water in other types of plastic bottles are still allowed. Cases of small water bottles are also banned.

Concord's Health Division checks stores and restaurants for the ban. If a store sells banned water, they get a warning. If they keep selling it, they get a $25 fine. Later fines are $50.

There is some disagreement about this ban. The International Bottled Water Association said the ban takes away people's choice. They also said it could hurt local businesses and tax money. They argued that people might buy unhealthier drinks instead. Some businesses also felt it limited freedom.

Other towns near Concord have thought about similar bans. Sudbury, Massachusetts, and Lincoln, Massachusetts, passed bans like Concord's in 2017 and 2018. Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and Rockport, Massachusetts, also passed bans later.

Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

On April 9, 2019, the town of West Tisbury, Massachusetts, banned the sale of non-alcoholic fizzy drinks in single-serve plastic bottles. This started on January 1, 2020. This was the first law in the U.S. to cover soft drinks in this way. Two nearby towns, Chilmark and Aquinnah, quickly passed similar rules.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

In 2019, a group called Sustainable Practices started a campaign on Cape Cod. Their goal was to stop towns from buying single-use plastic bottles. They also wanted to ban the sale of drinks in plastic bottles on town property. Many towns on Cape Cod, like Chatham, Harwich, and Orleans, adopted this ban. By July 2021, all 15 towns on Cape Cod had adopted the Municipal Plastic Bottle Ban.

The campaign also aimed for a "Commercial Single-use Plastic Water Bottle Ban." This would stop stores from selling non-carbonated, non-flavored water in single-use plastic bottles smaller than one gallon. By the end of 2021, 9 out of 15 Cape Cod towns had this ban in place.

India's Plastic Bans

In 2015, the state of Bihar in India banned plastic water bottles at government meetings. In 2016, Sikkim restricted plastic water bottles and styrofoam products in government events.

The government of Maharashtra banned all single-use plastic drink bottles in March 2018. "Single-use" meant bottles under half a liter. Larger bottles had a refundable fee. In March 2019, Gujarat banned plastic mineral water bottles in all government offices and events.

University Bans

Washington University in St. Louis is thought to be the first university to ban single-use water bottles. They have seen a big drop in plastic bottles, saving over 500,000 bottles each year.

The University of Vermont (UVM) also banned bottled water in 2013. However, a professor there noticed that the total number of bottles on campus actually went up. This was because people started buying more soda and juice in bottles. UVM is working to fix this by adding more filtered water stations.

In contrast, at Washington University in St. Louis, sales of all bottled drinks have gone down a lot. This suggests that people are not just switching to sugary drinks. The university believes its success comes from the ban, adding new water stations, and students caring more about being green.

Other Ways to Get Water

There are many good ways to avoid plastic bottles. A simple idea is to use a reusable bottle. You can fill it up at water fountains, special filling stations, or even some restaurants.

Another option is water in aluminum cans or bottles. Aluminum cans are great because they are often recycled into new cans. This means they have a very high amount of recycled material, much more than glass or plastic.

New ideas for eco-friendly bottles are also appearing. Some students have made a bottle from algae and other natural materials. Using such products could greatly reduce plastic waste.

See also

In Spanish: Prohibición del agua embotellada para niños