Bundanoon - A Town with No Bottle?

15 Votes

Wednesday, 08 July 2009

The Norlex water extraction issue has galvanized our local community like no other issue in recent times. Norlex plans to truck water to Sydney for bottling and sale at great profit to them but no economic or social benefit to Bundanoon. This, along with much recent media coverage, got some us of thinking. Could we make Bundanoon Australia's First Bottled Water Free Town?

One of the Directors of Norlex told me that they wanted to put Bundanoon on the map. On the map for all the wrong reasons. On the map for our part in an industry that, by any measure, represents all that is wrong with consumerism and marketing. An industry that Clean Up Australia has described as a global environmental disaster and that was described by the Sydney Morning Herald as ‘The New Social Poison'. There is even Calm; bottled water for dogs infused with flower essences.

Some facts:

Some 400,000 barrels of oil annually are used to manufacture the plastic that goes into the bottles that slake Australia's thirst for bottled water
Only 30% of these bottles are recycled
In 2008 Australians were expected to spend more than $450 million on packaged water
The average price of bottled water is $2.53/litre against 1 cent/per litre for tap water
The beverage industry loves bottled water because the costs of producing it are minimal. Just think of the ingredients in bottled water!
We in Bundanoon have a fine product called Bundanoon Natural Tap Water!

How about we put Bundanoon on the map for some good reasons? How about we make Bundanoon Australia's First Bottled Water Free Town. It would offer so many positives for the town. Showing we care about our local environment and the global environment, reducing the landfill contribution of plastic bottles, reducing littering of our town and very importantly it would add to the positive image of Bundanoon. An image of a friendly place to live or visit, a great place to walk or cycle, a Tidy Town with an active, concerned community.

Won't the businesses selling bottled water suffer?
A number of businesses sell bottled water. The response to the idea has been generally positive. However any scheme introduced should consider these businesses and if necessary look at ways of compensating them and helping them resist the pressure from the major beverage companies.

What about visitors to the town or residents who want a drink of water and don't want a soft drink?
Quality drinking water is readily available from taps whereas you cannot get a soft drink from a tap. Many people want to drink water and it is commonly recognized that most of us should drink more than we do. Many people are reluctant to ask a shop/café to fill an empty bottle for them, feeling that they should really be making a purchase.

We could produce a large number of sports bottles printed for example ‘Welcome to Bundanoon - Australia's First Bottled Water Free Town, Ingredients - 100% Bundanoon Natural Tap Water'. These bottles are either available free of charge or charged for to cover the cost and stop people wasting them. These bottles could be available from the shops/cafes in the village.

Then we organize the erection of Bundanoon Bubblers around town with clear signposting: ‘Bundanoon Natural Tap Water available here'. As an attraction in town we could also build The Big Bundy Bubbler; a huge tap with a number of taps beneath it in a highly visible town location.

The scenario. Visitor enters local shop.

‘Mate, where's your bottled water'

‘Sorry we don't sell bottled water in Bundanoon but here, have one of these (hands over a Bundanoon bottle) and help yourself from the Bundanoon Bubbler outside'

‘Hey, thanks mate. What a brilliant idea. What a community!'

But surely if you produce plastic bottles you're just replacing one with another?
What you are doing is producing something that will be used hundreds of times; not thrown away after one use. You are producing one light shipment not trucking, heavy water around the country. You are not draining the aquifer from underneath some community such as Bundanoon. You are promoting the town and also showing ways around the issue of bottled water. Anyway many people will have their own bottle.

Why does this benefit Tourism?
Tourism in Bundanoon is based on the image and attractions it offers. The image includes the village atmosphere, the natural setting, a safe place to walk/cycle. The attractions include the places to stay, to shop, to eat and drink, the National Park and State Forests, the cycling and walking trails. Being bottled water free will garner Bundanoon good media coverage and will add to the positive image visitors take away of our village. It will also hopefully give us all another reason for feeling proud to live in Bundanoon.

Who can help us achieve this goal?
In order to make Bundanoon; Australia's First Bottled Water Free Town we first and foremost need the support of the local community - business and residents. It will also require the support from those running events in Bundanoon so that bottled water is not sold at Brigadoon, The Highland Fling, etc, etc. The support of Wingecaribbee Shire Council is vitally important to ensure the investment, infrastructure and signage can be in place to make the initiative work. Grant funding can be applied for from both public and private sources.

The Don't Bore Bundanoon committee has discussed the idea. As a first step we want to float it to the community. Your views, both positive and negative, are welcome on this. Perhaps you'd like to get involved to bring it about?

Have we got the bottle to do it?

For more up-to-date information, click here, or contact Huw.

44 Comments

Greg Chapman makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

I work for a local independent spring water business, and I am so upset by "Bundy On Tap", against bottled water.

I work for Southern Highland Springs near Robertson, and it breaks my heart that the group has agreed to ditch the bottled water.

We heard about you folks against Norlex and Coca Cola. Honestly we are strongly NO WAY linked to them. They are our opposition.

Please Bundanoon, you folks have a nice town. Please don't damage small businesses like us
ZF makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

This is absolute madness!

Why not ban soft drinks? They come in plastic! And the cost they incur on the community includes the horrendous effects they have on people's teeth, weight and overall health.

When my kids go to one of the fast food outlets they always chose the bottled water with their meal, rather than the soft drinks. How would they be able to do that if bottled water is banned everywhere?

Why not put recycling bins everywhere so people can dispose of their bottles sensibly?

I don't want to carry a spare bottle with me everywhere so that I can 'fill it up' at the fountain. I prefer the convenience of being able to buy my water when I need it! And, I'd pay double the current price for it, if the samw would apply to all other plastic containers!

WHAT A JOKE!!!

(I live and work in Sydney in the technology sector, and have no association with the beverage industry)
Adam makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Well Done Bunadoon !!!!

I've just read about your wonderful decision on the BBC website ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8141569.stm ).

You are leading the world - let's hope other's follow your lead.
Patrick Sunter makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Great work Bundanoon!

Hope your initiative gets through, I'm familiar with these large corporate bottled water operations and as you say, they make all the profit without putting back into the community. Your idea makes lots of sense
Mike makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

I think what you are doing is GREAT! I hope you inspire more towns around the world with this campaign. I've long been a proponent of banning bottled water in developed countries, and especially in places with perfectly good tap water. Congratulations on being the first!

Mike Richter
Kyoto, Japan
Mark makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Nice one folks!

just read your story on the BBC website. Good luck with the plan to stop selling bottled water, pure madness that is.

ZF from Sidney - local restaurants could be asked to provide cooled tap water on request to customers, providing cups or reusable bottles for folk who don't have a bottle with them.

Good on your little town!

Mark, Milton Keynes, UK.
will parks makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

greetings from the uk. this is very good news indeed and i hope you are the first of many communities to ban bottled water. as i understand it bottled water has 600 times the carbon footprint of tap water and also can contain up to 1000 times more bacteria per ml. congratulations on being the first to show some common sense!
Patrick makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Congratulations on a fantastic idea! I hope the rest of the world will follow your lead.

I too read about this on the BBC news website and I hope you get massive publicity and increased tourist numbers too.

Cheers

Patrick
David makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Also just read about this on the BBC.

What an eminently sensible idea, good for you!

It's nice to see a bit of common sense being applied once in a while...
Morgan Evans makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Budanoon Community Wake-Up - Bubbler Swine Flu Alert
----------------------------------------------------
As much as I respect your objection to Norlex plans to bottle Budanoon's ground-water supply I take issue with you placing an outight ban on all bottled water and telling people to use public bubblers. It seems Budanoon is unaware there is a global Swine Flu pandemic. Numerous Sydney Councils like Manly Council have closed down all their public bubblers in fear of spreading Swine Flu. This means bottled water is the only safe water alternative. All I can say to you is good luck and I hope you have lots of public liabilty insurance becuase if you spread Swine Flu it will wipe Bundanoon off the map.
Kym from Adelaide makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Bundanoon - A Town Taking Action and Leading by Example!

Well done to you all. I can only hope and pray that other town's follow your lead. What an inspirational community!
Nat makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Great idea. Lets hope this is the start of worldwide ban
on bottled water.

It has certainly put Bundanoon on the map as everyone is talking about your ban on bottled water and what a good idea it is. You should sell the reusable bottles on line, perhaps it will start a tend.

Regards,

Nat,
Woking
England.
Fiona, Manchester UK makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Fabulous, well done Bundanoon - I hope that Manchester in the United Kingdom follows suit... I am about to buy myself a re-usable container and fill up from my tap at home!

Thanks for the inspiration!
Julie makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

What a brilliant, encouraging outcome! Go Bundanoon - your community are an inspiration! Shame about the shallow minded fools - but a ban on bottled water - hooray! Let's hope many other towns follow suit. Bottled water is a joke.
Julie makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

oh... and you're definitely on my list of must visit places now too!
Tim Stockton makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Great idea folks, it's about time that most of the Western World starts to think that plastic bottles are an enviromental disaster. Hope that you guys so start to do the same thing for Coke et al... I like the product(s) but cutting down on the packaging is a great idea.
Brian makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Good luck with this campaign,now join South Australia and ban plastic shopping bags, it works .
Loving It makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Great News.

Can we have a picture of the soon to be famous "Bundanoon bottle"?

Ignore the swine flu scaremongers, the 'small (minded) business' troubles, etc. This is a game changer. Could be done in so many areas in Europe too, especially France and Switzerland where they are rightly proud of their public fountains.
Gunther makes this comment

Thursday, 09 July 2009

Congratulations!
These guys actually DID put your community on the map. Not quite in the way they indended, but that is part of the fun.

I am writing from Austria/EU and we definitively have plenty of first class water at a good price from the tap. But even here people are manipulated into buying bottled water for invented reasons at immense costs, trucked around for hundreds of kilometers and filled in plastic bottles.

Someone had to start countering this - I would almost call it "scam" - and obviously you did it.

I toast you with a glass of local water, but I will probably commit the "sin" of buying an Australian wine to accompany it just for this reason.
John makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

Excellent news. If the local tap water is drinkable then there should be little need to buy bottled water especially the overpriced 'premium' brands. I hope the UK takes note.

John, Chepstow UK
Carolina Soto makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

CONGRATULATIONS for this initiative.
I´M FROM VENEZUELA AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A BIG EXAMPLE FOR THE WORLD.

THANKS

P/S: LEI QUE FUE AUSTRALIA EL 1ER PAIS QUE EN EL 2003 TOMO ACCIONES EN CONTRA DE LAS BOLSAS DE PLASTICO. Y UNA PRUEBA DE QUE SUS INICIATIVAS FUNCIONAN ES QUE ESTE AÑO 2009 EMPEZO EN VENEZUELA UN MOVIMIENTO PARA USAR BOLSAS RECICLABLES Y DE OTROS MATERIALES PARA AYUDAR AL AMBIENTE. ESO ES UNA PRUEBA QUE ESTE TIPO DE INICIATIVAS MUEVEN AL MUNDO.
Max makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

I read your story on the BBC and was inspired by the collective consciousness of your community. You'll have definitely put Bundanoon on the map by encouraging individuals and communities around the world. You have proved we can have successful business models and still be environmentally responsible.
You have made environmentally-responsible citizens of the world proud.
Jeff Lo makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

I am the executive edidor of United Daily News,a Chinese-language newspaper in Taiwan.I chose your story of banning bottled water in your town as the headline.It's encouraging to see what you folks have done to protect the environment.
Keep going!
Loam makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

There was a time when people considered water a gift from the Creator, not a resource to be commodified and available only to those who can pay. Water is life.

It's too "inconvenient" to carry a reusable water bottle? Really? How much lazier can we get as a species?

We need to think beyond our own noses. Thank you, Bundanoon.
Jeff Turrentine makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

Congratulations! Just this morning my wife and I, residents of Los Angeles, were talking about how we wished there was some way to put an end to the insanity of polluting the earth with millions upon millions of non-biodegradable plastic bottles -- which in addition to taking up space in landfills also leach toxic chemicals -- all so people can have a drink of something that's available for free from any nearby tap. We bemoaned the fact that no city or country had provided a model for how it might be done. Moments ago I learned that you're trying to do just that. Thanks. I hope you succeed, and I hope the world pays attention.
David in Indiana, USA makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

Bravo! The action taken by your community is truly inspiring. Yes, there is a lot of controversy about the use of ALL beverages sold in plastic bottles -- but this truly is a beginning. And bottled water is not a product that is not available in other forms, unlike soft drinks. I wish my own community would wake up to the environmental impact of plastic bottles -- even their recycling.
Ray makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

How does this solve any problems? Why not ban the sale of fizzy soft drinks in plastic bottles if you really want to do something positive for the environment AND for people's health?

Many people choose bottled water for a variety of health reasons. If there were no demand no one would buy it. I drink tap water myself and very rarely buy bottled water but I respect the rights of others who choose to pay a premium for what they clearly regard as a superior product, whether they're right or wrong.

It's simply not up to the 'good folk' of Bundanoon to tell their visitors that the local tap water is better and therefore "you can't buy bottled water here ... mate!"
Ray makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

Part two:

And isn't this really about your town's ongoing battle with the company Norlex Holdings who want to extract ground water from the aquifer to sell as bottled water? That battle's been raging for years.

How coincidental is it that the idea to ban (sorry, "voluntarily remove") bottled water from your shops' shelves came about AFTER Norlex proposed to build a large warehouse and 5 shops in Bundanoon? Could it be that the local shopkeepers want to punish Norlex and that's what is really driving you?

Sorry, but it all sounds rather small-minded and malicious to me.
Peder makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

Good on ya Bundanoon! Buying bottled water in places with perfectly fine tap water is the height of stupidity both for financial and ecological reasons. People do, of course, have a right to be stupid, but let's do what we can to make stupid choices difficult or expensive to make.

I applaud your efforts primarily for their educational value - most people who buy bottled water do so mostly out of ignorance, never having thought it through. Ending up on BBC broadcasts across the planet is a good start at reducing the ignorance level on this issue and, perhaps, encouraging contemplation of other similar issues where a little thought might result in significantly less stupidity.

Stay the course, mate!

Minnesota, USA
Adam makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

A good clean supply of water is missing in large parts of the world. Bottled water is often a cynical replacement. Also, many times I have seen pallet loads of water and soft drinks on pallets outside supermarkets and producers in my country of residence, the Czech republic, in full sunshine and in PET bottles. How healthy is that? Good on yer Bundanoon!
tom makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

great work.. I think its excellent that bottled water will be ditched from the town..why not ban softdrink also??? last time i looked at what was coming out of the tap it was water,the same clear stuff that comes in an overpriced bottle and something which can easily be removed from the shelf without impacting on peoples drinking choices..what a waste of resources when we have quality drinking water from the tap..if visitors dont want to fill up from a bubbler than there is a simple solution :dont come into our town.
Ray makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

"if visitors dont want to fill up from a bubbler than (then) there is a simple solution :dont come into our town."

"Our town", "Our water", "If you don't like it, stay away." That small-town-attitude says it all.
Jenny of Tasmania makes this comment

Friday, 10 July 2009

Brilliant banning bottled water Bundanoon! I hope you have also banned plastic bags as Coles Bay here in Tasmania did. Now can Coles Bay ban bottled water too? There's just too much junk masquerading as "convenience" these days.
Sue makes this comment

Saturday, 11 July 2009

Well done Bundanoon! What an inspiring story. I hope many other places have the bottle to make the same stand (sorry for the pun!)
Ray - "Our town", "Our water", "If you don't like it, stay away." That small-town-attitude says it all.
That small town attitude is actually a community working together for a collective good. They should feel proud of themselves and what they have achieved. The publicity will do wonders for tourism and the local businesses will benefit from that.
Ray makes this comment

Sunday, 12 July 2009

What have they "achieved" Sue? This ban has achieved nothing except to gain some free publicity & notoriety for the town. Whether or not banning the sale of bottled water is a "collective good" is a highly subjective opinion and when compared to the impacts of soft drinks sold in similar containers (and in much larger numbers) it really looks a bit silly. It remains to be seen whether it will "do wonders for (Bundanoon's) tourism".
Richard makes this comment

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Greetings from Ireland.
Congratulation to this great initiative, I sincerely hope it will be implemented. Unfortunately we still think we cannot survive without bottled water. One question to all the opponents: how did people survive before plastic bottles were invented??? It's not that long ago, surely someone will remember. And, don't forget, if we continue to put personal gain before the collective good we're on a sure way destroying the globe for all of us!
Christina makes this comment

Monday, 13 July 2009

I think this a brilliant idea, we NEED to reduce our carbon footprint and this is a good way to start. And as for coincidence Ray, it's not however if you read the first part of the article it clearly states that this company wants to truck the towns water away at no benefit to the town and a huge profit to themselves. My interpretation of that is that they take the "free" water, not pay for it but make a huge profit. Yeah I think I would jump up and down over that too.
Peter makes this comment

Wednesday, 15 July 2009

Well done Bundanoon!
You'll be a good example for the world against climate change.
I hope we can make the same in every hungarian town for the sustainable future.

Peter - from Hungary
Liza & Baz Huston CAFE 23 Largs Bay SA makes this comment

Thursday, 16 July 2009

WOW! Well done! We're not going to sell bottled water anymore in our Cafe either!!!

Happy to refill bottles with Reverse Osmosis water - free of charge!

Foodwise Organics, the store down the road sell these SAFE polycarbonate bottles! For more info read this link on these bottles.

http://themedicalsanctuary.com.au/articles/cms/47/polycarbonate-drinking-bottles-a-safe-alternative

Well done Bundanoon!!! Keep at it!

Liza & Baz
Scott makes this comment

Friday, 17 July 2009

How shocking!
What an outrage!
How can this be????????

One small, regional community can act with simple, positive intent and with a clarity of purpose that puts it ahead of the (apparently) bigger, smarter, more sophisticated cities across the world.
I think it is a tiny, perfect victory for common sense and a sustainable future.
Nigel Wodrich makes this comment

Sunday, 19 July 2009

Congratulations Bundanoon on banning the sale of bottled water. It is a very bold initiative that will help the environment and your local economy. Way to fight the privitization of water !!!!

Nigel
London Ontario Canada
Resi makes this comment

Sunday, 19 July 2009

Well done Bundanoon. You have set a wonderful example to the whole world.
Resi
jennyc355 makes this comment

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

OOh dear..I won't be stopping there ,if I do I will make sure I have water with me..Thats 's ok if you like drinking from a public bubbler..I do hope you don't have any one around town that just love to cause problems by doing silly things to the town bubblers...
Jane makes this comment

Monday, 28 September 2009

Great work Bundanoon. I hope you are the start of a trend that spreads throughout Australia and beyond.

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