By Kevin Tuerff January 1, 2008
Residents in Chicago
begin paying a 5-cent-per-bottle tax on bottled water January 1, the first such
tax in the country, according to the Chicago Times. The Illinois Beverage
Association plans to sue the city to overturn the new tax claiming it is
regressive and illegal, and will increase the cost of a case of bottled water
by 30 percent.
Municipal water systems are losing revenue to an $11 billion bottled water
industry, and are encouraging consumers to drink more tap water.
Lost in this tax debate is the real cost cities have to pay for landfilling an estimated 86 percent of used plastic water
bottles.
A recent poll conducted by conducted for EnviroMedia
Social Marketing shows a surprising 76 percent of Americans believe recycling
at home can reduce their contribution to global warming. Of those Americans who
believe recycling at home can reduce global warming, 80 percent would support
mandatory recycling. The research was conducted by International Communications
Research among 1,348 adults, representing a cross section of the U.S. in November
2007.
Those plastic bottles present the
saddest story today in Americas
recycling efforts. The Container Recycling Institute reports just 14 percent of
plastic water bottles are being recycled. Meanwhile, per capita consumption of
bottled water has more than doubled in the U.S. since we started EnviroMedia in 1997.
Confessions of a Bottled Water Fan
A case of 12-ounce water bottles that arent crushed takes up about 1
square-foot of space. How do I know? I measured the case in my own cabinet!
Shock and awe: Kevin Tuerff,
environmentalist-businessman, admits to liking the portability of water on the
go. When youre on-the-go, overweight and over 40, drinking water is the best
thing for your health. I always recycle my plastic bottles in my curbside bin
at home, but when Im commuting or traveling, it gets harder to find a
recycling bin. However, after spending America Recycles Day in an Austin landfill, Im
ready to change my own behavior.
See my business partners video comment from
that day.
But just like a smokers Jan. 1 attempt to quit tobacco, I pledge to cut back
on my own water bottle use in 2008 by 75 percent. Cold turkey wont cut it. My
strategy for quitting back on plastic is simple: aluminum reusable water
bottles with cold, filtered water. I have one for home, and another for the
office. Ill be pre-cycling by avoiding lots of oil-based plastic, reducing
related CO2 emissions from transporting the bottles, and supporting my own water
district by drinking their superior-rated water.
So, should other cities consider a similar bottled-water sin tax? Id only
support one if the funds went toward dramatically improving recycling
infrastructure so I could toss the occasional plastic water bottle into a
recycling bin in public places like stores, malls and airports.
Tuerff
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