No plastic water bottles in city buildings
Montrealers will soon not be able to reach for water bottles in vending machines in city buildings.
On Tuesday, city council unanimously passed a motion banning single-use water containers from municipal buildings.
Q What does the water bottle ban mean?
A Montreal will “prohibit the purchase and distribution of single-use plastic water bottles, notably 500-millilitre ones, through all city departments and business units, with the exception of the supplies necessary in the event of a crisis or emergency situation,” the motion said. That is expected to mean Montrealers will not be able to buy water bottles from vending machines at city arenas, sports centres and libraries, among other places. The motion, presented by the opposition Ensemble Montréal party, also commits Montreal to developing a city-wide plastic-reduction strategy to be unveiled by year end.
Q When will this take effect? A Details have not been worked out. Benoit Dorais, chair of the city executive committee, said it will take some time for water bottles to disappear. “We will put forward the necessary measures, respecting the jurisdiction of the boroughs,” Dorais said, adding the city is committed to “tackling the overuse of plastic.”
Q How many water bottles do Quebecers use?
A Ensemble Montréal says more than 700 million singleuse water bottles end up in Quebec landfills annually. In 2005, Recyc- Québec estimated that only 57 per cent of water bottles consumed at home were recycled.
Q Why are plastic water bottles bad?
A In addition to clogging landfills and ending up in waterways, the production of water bottles uses vast amounts of oil. Recyc- Québec last year estimated that the bottled-water industry consumes more than 225,000 barrels of oil annually solely to meet the needs of the Quebec market. That corresponds, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, to approximately 24,000 cars rolling 20,000 kilometres a year, Recyc- Québec said.
Q What else is Montreal banning?
A Montreal banned the distribution of single-use plastic bags — the kind you get at grocery and retail checkouts — as of Jan. 1. Retailers have a grace period to adjust: there won’t be any penalties for violating the bag ban bylaw until June 5. In December, Montreal city council passed a motion calling for the gradual phasing out of sugary drinks in all municipal buildings like arenas and sports centres.