The Great Lakes Compact made the issue of bottled water more front and center than ever before (at least as I recall in my lifespan), which became the thorn in a good many Great Lakes-lover’s side. Because this legislation did not put the kibosh on bottling and selling Great Lakes water, it left the lakes open to the dangers of our culture – generally over-consumptive, fast-paced, wasteful and at times, unaccountable.
But perhaps we underestimated the power of the local government and grassroots campaigning. In a city the size of Toronto (over 2.5 million residents, the largest city in Canada), it is not an easy feat to overcome very intense lobbying and a number of less-than-enthusiastic citizens to pass a law banning the sale and distribution of bottled water on city premises. But passed it they did earlier this month, and the environmental and social implications and symbolic importance leave many enviro’s and Great Lakes residents slapping hands.
Champions of this legislation were City Councilor Glen De Baeremaeker and Mayor David Miller, supported by “a concerted grassroots push by Ontario-based activists, public interest organizations, community and student groups, labour unions and environmental networks.”
Not only is Toronto banning the sale and distribution of bottled water in the city, but officials also made a promise to reinvest in public drinking water throughout the city, making clean and free water available for not only those with disposable incomes but also for those who can’t afford the $2.00 per bottle of water on a regular basis. This means more water fountains and better tap water.
This is a terrific example of how grassroots and local government can work from the bottom up to make a significant impact on the way things are socially viewed and legislatively allowed. It speaks to the value of meeting top-down legislation like the Great Lakes Compact half way, and of accomplishing goals that are important to the public.
As the author of the article, Tony Clarke writes, “It's becoming clear that the recent love affair with bottled water has reached its limits. Bottled water's 15 minutes are up, the marketing scam is out of the closet and the tap is back.”
The article http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/551909
Also see Alan Maki's post and subsequent comments on the Community Bulletin entitled "Toronto Stood Up to Bottled Water Industry"
By Tony Clarke
December 11, 2008, The Toronto Star
Toronto's decision last week to ban the sale and distribution
of bottled water on city premises was a watershed moment for
water justice advocates the world over. What was truly
significant about Toronto's action was not that it banned an
environmentally destructive product, but that it included a
commitment to ensuring access to tap water in all city
facilities.
of bottled water on city premises was a watershed moment for
water justice advocates the world over. What was truly
significant about Toronto's action was not that it banned an
environmentally destructive product, but that it included a
commitment to ensuring access to tap water in all city
facilities.
Toronto is now the largest city in the world to pass such
far-reaching regulations controlling the distribution of
bottled water on municipal property and promoting the use of
publicly delivered tap water. Other Canadian and American
municipalities have enacted policies encouraging the
consumption of tap water and limiting the distribution of
bottled water using taxpayer money, but none as large as
Toronto has taken such a comprehensive approach.
far-reaching regulations controlling the distribution of
bottled water on municipal property and promoting the use of
publicly delivered tap water. Other Canadian and American
municipalities have enacted policies encouraging the
consumption of tap water and limiting the distribution of
bottled water using taxpayer money, but none as large as
Toronto has taken such a comprehensive approach.
Toronto's action is in many ways the result of a diverse
North American public campaign that has successfully raised
awareness about bottled water as an unnecessary and wasteful
product when the majority of people in Canada and the United
States have access to clean drinking water from the tap.
North American public campaign that has successfully raised
awareness about bottled water as an unnecessary and wasteful
product when the majority of people in Canada and the United
States have access to clean drinking water from the tap.
In Canada, this campaign gained significant exposure in early
2005 when the Polaris Institute published Inside the Bottle:
an Exposé of the Bottled Water Industry, which provided an
overview of the 10 key problems with bottled water. Over the
nearly four years since, a popular movement to challenge the
bottled water industry has emerged at an astonishing pace -
as schools and universities, restaurants, hospitals, faith-
based organizations, unions and municipalities have decided
to turn on the tap and kick out the bottle.
2005 when the Polaris Institute published Inside the Bottle:
an Exposé of the Bottled Water Industry, which provided an
overview of the 10 key problems with bottled water. Over the
nearly four years since, a popular movement to challenge the
bottled water industry has emerged at an astonishing pace -
as schools and universities, restaurants, hospitals, faith-
based organizations, unions and municipalities have decided
to turn on the tap and kick out the bottle.
As is often the case, Toronto's initiative had its own
elected champions steering it forward. City Councillor Glen
De Baeremaeker and Mayor David Miller had the progressive
vision to include bottled water in their goal of keeping
unnecessary packaging out of city landfills. Their efforts
were coupled with a concerted grassroots push by Ontario-
based activists, public interest organizations, community and
student groups, labour unions and environmental networks.
elected champions steering it forward. City Councillor Glen
De Baeremaeker and Mayor David Miller had the progressive
vision to include bottled water in their goal of keeping
unnecessary packaging out of city landfills. Their efforts
were coupled with a concerted grassroots push by Ontario-
based activists, public interest organizations, community and
student groups, labour unions and environmental networks.
In the days leading up to the Toronto vote, city councillors
faced a barrage of lobbying from the bottled water industry.
These frantic attempts to defeat the resolution continued
over the two days of debates when the industry brought a
battery of lobbyists, corporate executives and industry
associations into the council chamber to influence the vote.
Representatives from the Canadian Bottled Water Association,
Refreshments Canada and Nestlé Waters, along with their hired
lobbyists from the Sussex Strategy Group and Argyle
Communications, intensively lobbied councillors during the
entire six-hour debate. However, their high-priced strategy
ultimately failed to influence elected officials, who voted
with a two-thirds majority to ban bottled water and reinvest
in the public delivery of drinking water.
faced a barrage of lobbying from the bottled water industry.
These frantic attempts to defeat the resolution continued
over the two days of debates when the industry brought a
battery of lobbyists, corporate executives and industry
associations into the council chamber to influence the vote.
Representatives from the Canadian Bottled Water Association,
Refreshments Canada and Nestlé Waters, along with their hired
lobbyists from the Sussex Strategy Group and Argyle
Communications, intensively lobbied councillors during the
entire six-hour debate. However, their high-priced strategy
ultimately failed to influence elected officials, who voted
with a two-thirds majority to ban bottled water and reinvest
in the public delivery of drinking water.
For many, Toronto has now become the champion of the "Back to
the Tap" municipal movement in Canada. To date, this movement
has already seen 17 municipalities from five provinces ban
the bottle. With 45 others indicating an interest to follow
suit, Toronto's leadership will no doubt inspire more
municipalities to stand up and speak out in support of public
water. To further enable this municipal movement, Toronto
City Council also passed a motion to circulate its
resolutions and amended staff report to the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of
Ontario and the Regional Public Works Commissioners of
Ontario.
the Tap" municipal movement in Canada. To date, this movement
has already seen 17 municipalities from five provinces ban
the bottle. With 45 others indicating an interest to follow
suit, Toronto's leadership will no doubt inspire more
municipalities to stand up and speak out in support of public
water. To further enable this municipal movement, Toronto
City Council also passed a motion to circulate its
resolutions and amended staff report to the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of
Ontario and the Regional Public Works Commissioners of
Ontario.
Increasingly across Canada, municipal leaders are showing
that there is a strong political will for reinvestments in
public water services. However, access to municipal drinking
water is dwindling with new buildings constructed without
water fountains and older ones decommissioning existing
fountains. Now is the time to issue strong calls to all
levels of government for greater public access to free
potable water and a wholesale reinvestment in water
infrastructure and services
that there is a strong political will for reinvestments in
public water services. However, access to municipal drinking
water is dwindling with new buildings constructed without
water fountains and older ones decommissioning existing
fountains. Now is the time to issue strong calls to all
levels of government for greater public access to free
potable water and a wholesale reinvestment in water
infrastructure and services
It's becoming clear that the recent love affair with bottled
water has reached its limits. Bottled water's 15 minutes are
up, the marketing scam is out of the closet and the tap is
back. The simple fact is that there is no "green" solution to
bottled water. While it might serve a function during natural
disasters or other contingencies, it is no alternative to the
tap.
water has reached its limits. Bottled water's 15 minutes are
up, the marketing scam is out of the closet and the tap is
back. The simple fact is that there is no "green" solution to
bottled water. While it might serve a function during natural
disasters or other contingencies, it is no alternative to the
tap.
Toronto has made the right choice to support public water
infrastructure and to increase city residents' access to
clean, convenient and environmentally sound drinking water -
the only question now is which municipality or province will
be next.
infrastructure and to increase city residents' access to
clean, convenient and environmentally sound drinking water -
the only question now is which municipality or province will
be next.
More on Chicago and Bottled Water
Toronto on Bottled Water
What if every Great Lakes city were to do this?