Legislative Action

Bottled water banned in Thorold facilities: Thorold Niagara News

Posted: May 15, 2009

The City of Thorold has banned the sale and distribution of bottled water from municipal facilities and are encouraging residents and visitors to drink municipal water.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) reported other municipalities have already taken action to limit the use of bottled water in their municipal facilities. They urged cities to support the use of municipal tap water as a valuable resource, to improve the environment and to reduce the amount of plastics in the municipal waste stream.

Councillor Shawn Wilson said “it is incumbent on us to show leadership on issues like this. I firmly believe that the Province needs to reinstate the deposit system and resort back to using reusable glass containers for not just bottled water but many other consumer goods such as milk. As a municipality we need to help divert these plastics from the landfill. Plastics, unlike other materials, can only be recycled so much until they eventually end up in a landfill.”

Thorold Green Plan Advisory Committee Chairman Jon Pounder does not agree with the city moving the resolution forward.

“It's disappointing. To be effective, change should come from social pressure, not by having laws imposed on people who do not agree with them,” he said.

“Having a strong market for the material to be recycled is the best way to keep it from being left lying around, since much like aluminum, it becomes easy money for someone to collect if it does happen to be left around. With all the PET/polyester products we use, it's really shameful it's not recycled to the huge extent it is in other countries.”

The resolution passed at the May 5 council meeting recommended the Acting Director of Operations prepare a report to address ways to improve accessibility to water in City facilities and that a copy of the decision be shared with government officials around the region. Picture: Jon Pounder, Green Plan Advisory Chairman, with a water bottle at the Thorold arena.