St. Catharines bans bottled water sales at city facilities
St. Catharines is asking CocaCola to remove water from its vending machines at city facilities as council brings in an immediate ban on the sale of plastic water bottles.
The move comes after previous city councils passed motions to ban the sale of water in plastic bottles at municipally-owned and operated properties, but the change was never implemented.
It’s a first step in what council hopes will eventually be a ban on all plastic beverage bottles at city facilities to reduce waste and promote St. Catharines drinking water as a healthy alternative.
“This is a small step, but I think an important step,” said Mayor Walter Sendzik before the vote at Monday night’s meeting. “I ask council to support what previous councils have been trying to do.”
Councillors voted 8-2 for the
immediate ban in vending machines and concession stands, with St. George’s Coun. Mike Britton and Grantham Coun. Sandie Bellows voicing concerns about the city taking away the healthiest option for drinks.
The city was informed that Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada Co., which has a contract with St. Catharines until May 2024, will replace its Dasani water bottles with other bottled products that may include flavoured water.
“We’re not reducing the amount of plastic at all in our facilities, we’re actually just making people less healthy,” Britton said. “This ban as it states here is actually a war on water as opposed to a war on plastic.”
Bellows said she believed council was moving in the right direction in banning plastic, but had a concern they were choosing water.
She said diabetes is on the rise and children are obese, yet water has no calories or sugar and is being taken away to be replaced with sugary drinks.
It was a choice between the environment and health.
“Although I support this for the environment, I just wonder which side we’re taking here,” she said. “To take a bottled water product away from a child and give them syrup, to me is just ridiculous.”
Council was unanimous in asking staff to negotiate its contact with Coca-Cola to remove all plastic bottle beverages in the future. City staff will report back to council on what the financial implications will be if it decides to adopt a full plastic bottle ban.
Council also voted to spend $50,000 to install outdoor water bottle filling stations in 2019 at Kiwanis Field, Burgoyne Woods, Montebello Park, Lancaster Park and Pearson Park.
St. Catharines has an agreement and exclusivity clause with Coca-Cola that was struck in 2014 when Meridian Centre was opened. The agreement allows Coca-Cola to sell beverages in vending machines in city facilities and through the city’s thirdparty concession operators.
The city has made more than $360,000 from the agreement since 2014, along with receiving 400 cases of beverages and Cokebranded products.
City staff reported that a ban on water bottles in vending machines and at concessions won’t result in material changes to the agreement, which includes a commission for the city from sales.
The ban may affect how much the city makes in the long run, though, if people buy fewer bottles.
Bottled water was the second highest seller for Coke behind soft drinks at city facilities from 2014-16. Staff reported water sales were trending upwards every year while the pop sales were trending down.
There will be exemptions to the water bottle ban at Meridian Centre and FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre because of current beverage sales performance rebates in place and the need for capital upgrades for water fountains.
Garden City Golf Course is also exempt because the only source of cooled water is at the clubhouse and a mobile cart. The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre will be allowed to continue to sell bottled water so its 40,000 annual visitors can purchase water if they don’t have refillable bottles with them.
The city said Niagara Falls, London, Burlington and Toronto have removed water sold in plastic bottles from municipal facilities. It’s estimated more than half of three billion plastic beverage bottles sold annually in Ontario end up in landfills or as litter.