There will be fewer small plastic bottles in Manitoba landfills, as the Provincial government has taken the step of banning the purchase of banning government departments from purchasing bottled water.
"We believe by taking this step we are leading by example and encouraging Manitobans to move away from using single-use bottled water," Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie said in a recent release, "This also acknowledges the importance of Manitoba Sustainable Development Procurement Guidelines that clearly states purchases must be based on careful consideration of the good's impact on the environment."
Over the past five years, the Province has spent over $700,000 buying bottled water. But the new policy states government money cannot be used to buy single-use bottled water in plastic containers with less than one litre of water when tap water that is safe for drinking is “reasonably accessible.” Exceptions to the policy would be made when safe drinking water is not available, such as when forest firefighting crews in remote areas need water to drink.
"The production, transport and recycling of single-use water bottles wastes energy and produces unnecessary carbon emissions,” said Laurel McDonald of The Manitoba Eco-Network. “Today's announcement, along with the efforts of three university campuses and several municipalities already banning the sale of bottled water, puts Manitoba on the forefront of efforts to reclaim public water and to reduce the burden of bottled water on the environment."
In 2009, the University of Winnipeg was the first university in the world to ban bottled water from their campus.
“It’s so cool to be a part of that history,” said Lana Hastings, the vice-present of the U of W’s student association.
Since then, two more universities in Manitoba have followed suit, and schools around the world are following their lead.
“We’ve had calls from Australia, Texas, all around the world asking how went about doing it and any tips we can give them,” Hastings said.
In 2008, the City of Winnipeg voted against the ban, arguing that banning water bottles would actually encourage people to drink sugar-filled soft drinks.
And while the Province wants to lead by example, they admit that water bottles will still be sold at the Manitoba Legislature building.
”˜Water bottles will continue, water will continue to be for sale here, this is a private operation here, it's not something the government runs itself,” Blaikie explained.
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