Bottled water bans have been proposed and enacted in several municipalities and campuses everywhere over such concerns as resource wastage, transportation emissions, plastic litter, and damage to affected aquifers.
As of late 2016, 82 high schools, colleges and universities across the world have implemented bottled water bans on their campuses.
[5] The use of plastics continues to rise due to convenience and affordability, but many are unaware of the environmental and health impacts they are leaving behind.
[7] According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, a discarded plastic bottle takes 450 years to decompose.
[9] The piling up of plastics around the world continues to build up and now we are facing issues like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
[10] Additional to environmental impacts, plastics have been claimed to leave behind chemicals detrimental to human health such as the neurotoxin Bisphenol A (also known as BPA).
[13][14][15] For these reasons some governments are interested in banning the use of single-use plastic water bottles in their regions to lower these impacts on the environment and promote sustainability within their boundaries.
The Toronto City Council approved a water bottle ban to take effect in January 2012.
[22] In June 2007, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom released an executive directive to phase out the usage of water bottles in the city.
The Town also instituted a requirement that restaurants serve tap water on request including take-out orders.
The Health Division is tasked with ensuring compliance with the bylaw against bottled water sales under 1 liter.
On the third and subsequent inspections, a non-criminal citation with a fine of $50 is issued if bottled water continues to be sold in violation of the bylaw.
The International Bottled Water Association issued a press release stating that: "This ban deprives residents of the option to choose their choice of beverage and visitors, who come to this birthplace of American independence, a basic freedom gifted to them by the actions in this town more than 200 years ago.
It will also deprive the town of needed tax revenue and harm local businesses that rely on bottled water sales.
"[36] The IBWA reinforced this statement in response to the proposed ban on bottled water in the city of San Francisco.
"[37] Some businesses opposed the ban, saying it restricts freedom of choice and will simply drive bottled water sales out of town.
However, it was reintroduced in 2022 and it passed and the town became the largest municipality in the state to have a retail bottled water ban.
[39] A high-school student proposed a ban by-law at the Fall 2014 Town Meeting in Framingham, where it was defeated by a vote of 60 to 40.
[41] Framingham also has a Poland Spring bottling plant, and its owner Nestlé Waters North America opposed the ban as well.
[43] Other towns outside the Concord and Cape Cod areas passed bans starting in 2018: On April 9, 2019, the Town Meeting of West Tisbury, Massachusetts, banned the sale of non-alcoholic carbonated beverages in single-serve plastic bottles (defined as less than 34 ounces) starting January 1, 2020.
Seven towns adopted the Commercial Ban in 2020, eliminating the retail sale of non-carbonated, non-flavored water in single-use plastic bottles of less than one gallon in size effective September 2021: Brewster, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown and Wellfleet.
[52] followed by Dennis [56] In spring 2023, Sustainable Practices initiated a new campaign targeted to ban single-use plastic take-out containers and cutlery.
[59] In 2016, the state of Sikkim restricted the usage of plastic water bottles (in government functions and meetings) along with styrofoam products.
The university continues its efforts by, "doubling the number of water stations on campus and stocking them with biodegradable cups.
For example, a simple solution to this is to use a reusable bottle and fill it up at stations, water fountains, or food establishments.