Toronto will ban plastic water bottles on municipal properties by 2011

Toronto Mayor David Miller and City Council have decided to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on all municipal properties in Toronto by 2011.

If Toronto implements this ban, it will be the first large city in the world to do so. Stuart Green, spokesman for Toronto Mayor David Miller, told Canwest News Service the plastic water bottle ban is part of other planned measures designed to divert 70 per cent of waste from the dump by 2010. Green added they will be providing drinking fountains in areas where the bans are implemented. They will also upgrade these fountains to provide clean and safe water to the public. Toronto City Council also endorsed the following to control waste in the city: - A five-cent charge for every plastic bag customers use from a grocery or retail store starting in June;

- A ban on biodegradable and compostable plastic bags.

- A ban on retail bags with rope handles or metal grommets by the end of next year.

- A request the retailers also provide shoppers with alternatives to having the pay for a plastic bag, whether by providing cardboard boxes or paper sacks for shoppers. So far, about 17 municipalities from five provinces in Canada have imposed the water bottle ban, while 45 more municipalities are planning to impose restrictions in the near future, according to the Polaris Institute. The ban will be imposed on government areas only; private businesses may still sell the plastic water bottles.