Concord, Mass. Becomes First City in U.S. to Ban Plastic Water Bottles!

Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Wouldn't Have Happened Without Local Activists

Back in 2010, we wrote about efforts by citizens of Concord, Mass., to ban the use of plastic water bottles in their city: The effort was lead by Jean Hill, an 82-year old activist, who lobbied neighbors and officials alike on the consequences of plastic bottles filling landfills and polluting local waters. 'All these discarded bottles are damaging our planet, causing clumps of garbage in the oceans that hurt fish, and are creating more pollution on our streets,' said Hil.

It has taken a few years for the ban to take effect, but as of January 1st 2013, Concord became among the first U.S. communities to ban single-serving plastic water bottles.

Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Water bottles might seem like a small thing, but according to Ban the Bottle:


And it's not like bottled water is a good deal for your wallet either:


The ban isn't exactly 1920s' prohibition, though. Stores will only be fined up to $50 for violating the ban and there an exemption for emergencies. So no government agents busting doors and trying to find the hidden stash of water bottles. But as a way to raise awareness and because most people follow the rules, it should be very effective and significantly reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles in circulation in the area (kind of like how even small 5-cent taxes on disposable plastic bags reduce their use tremendously).

Google Maps/Screen capture

Hopefully this is the beginning of a larger movement that will return bottled water to what it should have stayed: An emergency thing, when you really need water but can't get it any other way. It's ridiculous that it has become an everyday thing for so many people that have access to perfectly fine water for a fraction of the price from their tap (and there are so many great filtering systems out there for those who want to make extra sure -- though it's not like bottled water can't be contaminated either).

Our colleagues at MNN have more on this story: With new bylaw, Concord opens the floodgates for bottled water bans.

Via HP, AP

See also: Biodiesel Train Crossed US-Canada Border 24 Times to Exploit Biofuel Loophole

Tags: Massachusetts | Plastics