Reusable drink bottle to benefit Blacktown City health and environment
Friday, July 11, 2008
Blacktown City Council's thirst for environmental sustainability
Blacktown City Council will launch its very own reusable drink bottle to encourage its community to drink tap water in reusable containers providing a health and environmental benefit.
The reusable drink bottles will be distributed to the community at various Blacktown City Council events. Look out for their funky design that not only is more attractive than your usual water bottle, but will also help reduce the excessive consumption of oil and greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with their production.
The Blacktown Bottle is another environmental initiative of the State's largest local government area and New South Wales' Solar City - Blacktown City.
The Blacktown Bottle will complement Council's current environmental sustainability programs including Sustainability Street, the Sustainable Living Workshop Series, Supporters of Sustainability Program, Cities for Climate Protection and Regenises, Bushcare, community gardens and Adopt A Road, the Eco Active Schools Program and the Annual Environment Expos as well the Clean Cities Strategy and Draft Resource (waste) Management Strategy. These programs are a practical example of how environmental sustainability considerations are embedded as a key component of Council's core business.
"The Blacktown Bottle will greatly assist in promoting all of these initiatives as well as achieving positive outcomes in its own right in terms of resource conservation, more efficient waste management and protecting our environment," Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Leo Kelly said.
"Even this media release has been printed on paper that has seeds of Red Bottlebrush within it," Mayor Kelly said.
To germinate the seed you should break the paper up into 10-12 pieces and it in water until soft. The paper should then be placed on seed raising mix (in a pot or ground). Lightly cover the paper with more seed mix, water and keep moist. Germination should take 7-21 days.
"According to the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment & Security, every time you drink a new 1 litre of bottled water, it consumes 200ml of oil, Mayor Kelly said.
"Council is taking an active approach to combat the impact that the production of bottled water has on the environment by purchasing re-usable drink bottles," Mayor Kelly said.
"An important feature of the reusable bottle is that it can be washed, including in the dishwasher and reused time and time again," Mayor Kelly said.
FACTS ABOUT BOTTLED WATER:
- Australians spent $385 million on 250 million litres of bottled water in 2006 (AC Nielson).
- For this many litres of water, it takes 141,666 barrels of oil to make the resin for the plastic bottles (Polyethylene Terephthalate or PET). Then another 314,465 barrels of oil to convert the PET to plastic bottles, bottle, transport and refrigerate the water.
- This much oil adds up to over 60,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions - about the same as 13,000 cars produce in a year
- So every time you drink a litre of bottled water, you're using 200 ml of oil (Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment & Security).
NB: It is important that residents clean and rinse out their re-usable bottles on a regular basis for both hygiene and