Hamilton looks to ban bottled water and sugary drink sales
- Robert
- 18 May 2018
Hamilton is looking to promote a healthier, less wasteful future for its residents. Members of Hamilton’s board of health voted earlier in the week on an issue that will affect vending machines across the city.
Hamilton has the choice of banning, or continuing to sell, sugary drinks and bottled water in public facilities such as rec centres and arenas.
There are both pros and cons to not allowing the sale of these drinks.
Banning the sales of sugary drinks and bottled water will reduce the use of plastic. People don’t always recycle, leaving their plastic bottles to wind up in landfills.
Buying bottled water is pretty unnecessary too – Hamilton has plenty of clean tap water. Many public spaces have water fountains you can drink from or fill your reusable water bottle with.
Lastly, sugary drinks such as pop or juice are not really healthy options. Removing these sugary drinks in vending machines puts them out of sight and out of mind. Instead of buying a bottle of pop on impulse, people will look to fresh water fountains instead.
On the other hand, some believe that banning the sale of these drinks will lose the city money.
The sale of sugary drinks in public facilities generates about $44,000 for the city each year. Bottled water rakes in close to $20,000.
If people can’t buy drinks when they’re out, they’ll bring their own from home. This includes plastic bottled drinks that, again, may not be recycled.
Hamilton’s board of health voted 6-3 in favour of the ban. If this ban comes into effect, it will be implemented over a three-year period.
City council has until May 23 to decide whether or not to approve this ban.
Are you for or against the sale of bottled water and sugary drinks in public spaces? Let us know in the comments.
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