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Bottled Water Industry Urges National Park Service To Permit Bottled-Water Sales In Parks

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A National Park Service ban on bottled water sales, which has been attributed to a reduction in litter and garbage in general, is depriving visitors of the life-sustaining beverage, according to the International Bottled Water Association.

The association on Thursday sent a letter, said to be signed by more than 360 bottled water industry representatives, to the Park Service asking that the ban on bottled-water sales be dropped. Additionally, the letter requested that the Park Service "provide an opportunity for meaningful dialogue between our industry and the NPS in order to work together to ensure the health, wellness, and safety of visitors to the national parks, in a manner consistent with NPS’s mission to preserve the resources and values of the national parks for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of today’s and future generations.”

In their letter to NPS, the bottled water representatives noted that “banning the sale of bottled water in the parks is very difficult to reconcile with the NPS’s Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative and its efforts to encourage more healthy food and beverage choices in the parks.” The letter also pointed out that “[r]esearch shows that when bottled water isn’t available, 63 percent of people will choose soda or another sugary drink.”

“A ban on the sale of bottled water at the parks simply makes no sense,” said Chris Hogan, vice president of communications for the International Bottled Water Association. “Efforts to eliminate or reduce access to bottled water in our national parks will lead to consumers defaulting to less-healthy drink options that have more packaging, more sugar, and greater environmental impacts than bottled water."

But for most parks, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, disposable plastic water bottles represent the biggest source of trash that parks must pay to haul away, averaging nearly one-third of all solid waste in parks surveyed. 

More and more parks have installed water spigets where visitors can refill water bottles before heading down the trail. The bottled water association, though, believes visitors should have a wider range of options when it comes to water.

"Promoting greater consumption of water from all sources, including bottled water, will support the efforts of park visitors striving for a healthier and active lifestyle and bolster the parks’ current Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative," a press release from the association stated. "In addition, by making water available in all forms—tap and bottled—the parks will encourage more people to drink more water. That strategy is in line with the Drink Up initiative, an important effort from the Partnership for a Healthier America and First Lady Michelle Obama that encourages all Americans to drink more water more often. IBWA has been an active supporter of Drink Up since it launched in September 2013."

"These misguided bans on the sale of bottled water are not likely to reduce the presence of plastic bottles within the recycling streams of our national parks," said Mr. Hogan. "And we shouldn’t forget that bottled water’s environmental footprint is the lowest of any packaged beverage, according to a life cycle assessment conducted by Quantis in 2010. Bottled water has the smallest water and energy use footprint of any packaged beverage."

Comments

Ah, the scent of money in the morning!


It's nice that the International Bottled Water Association, is so concerned for me.


Yeah ed, but at least they only want to give you the opportunity to buy, unlike the government which is forcing you into lifestyles/purchases. 


Sell me a reusable bottle and I'll be fine, thanks.

Oops.  I already have one.  It's got Mt. Rainier on it.


There is no government ban on buying bottled water.  Buy it anywhere you want.  Just not in a national park.  Or in any of the numerous stores that have decided not to sell it any more.

Funny that people who yowl about "choice" want to prevent others of us who have urged our parks to stand firm on this decision from seeking to have our choices honored.


Y'all don't forget a few months back that Eric didn't think the plastic bottle disposal was a problem, and we decided to dump them all in his back yard.


from seeking to have our choices honored.

You can have your choice honored - don't buy bottled water in the park.  Even Megaera understands that.


we decided to dump them all in his back yard.

Doesn't surprise me you throw litter in other peoples' yards.  Personally, I use the recycle bin. 


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