Concord, Massachusetts, was very close to becoming the first town in America to ban the sale of plastic water bottles. However, that ban has, unfortunately, been stalled by the Massachusetts State Attorney General, who did not allow the ban to pass. Not much data is available for explanation, but it is certain that this is currently out of the hands of the town to ban. Other cities have stopped spending money on these bottled products, such as San Francisco, and other cities, such as Boston, have promised to stop spending money on these in the future.
This year, two bills are being tried again: One is to inform the public on the harmful effects of plastic bottles, the other completely bans the sale of plastic water bottles in the city of Concord. It’s important to know that the citizens of the city voted to ban the sale of the water bottles in the city; it was not just a decision of the city council. These bills are promising, and hopefully won’t be stalled again. The Attorney General did say that the town could try again if it wished to ban the bottles again.
The ban is only on plastic water bottles. Pop, milk, flavored water, and more, could still be sold in plastic packages.
Plastic water bottles are very unhealthy for the environment. They can take thousands of years to biodegrade, and when they do, they release toxins into the environment. Statistics I’ve seen have said that anywhere between seventy-three and eighty-eight percent of plastic water bottles are thrown away instead of recycled. This move is an excellent example for other cities, and hopefully others will follow suit.
Source: Care 2 Make a Difference: http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/massachusetts-town-votes-to-ban-the-sale-of-bottled-water/
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