NPS Director Jarvis Allows Parks To Ban Disposable Plastic Bottles

[zip0]

NPS Director Jarvis Allows Parks To Ban Disposable Plastic Bottles | National Parks Traveler

[historyljc]

At first reading, Director Jarvis' guideines for a national park to ban the sale of disposable plastice bottles in that park appear, IMHO, to be reasonable. The immediate effect of the guidelines is to prevent or delay an individual park from banning the sale of these water bottles until they have done the necessary studies to 1) determine that an alternate safe water supply is available to park visitors, 2) the ban in an individule park is not going to cause more problems than it corrects, 3) they get proper administrative approval insuring that these issues have been successfully addressed and resolved before implimenting the ban. This is my very simplified version of the issue and others may wish to reference the above link provided by zip0 for greater detail and a fuller understanding of the matter.

[edj]

Contrary to what the marketers would like you to think, nobody was dying of thirst before the plastic water bottles came on the market. Back then, people got water from the faucet or drinking fountains.... Imagine that, what a concept....

[powerboatr]

let me add a thought

this summer our lake was down and still is 10- 12 feet below the norm
so my granddaughter and I drove the golf cart around the new BEACH on a stretch of less than 2 miles, picking up alum cans. We picked up over 35 lbs of cans.

now if the plastic water bottles were returnable or even paid to recycle them...at a rate of .02 per bottle
we would have been millionaires.

we as consumers should demand all 50 states put a return on all plastic bottle like we had with glass coke bottles

some states already do this and i applaud them, every state should and the bottle problem would drastically take care of itself

as a kid i used to pick up glass bottles for return and it paid for my summer stuff

[Hipshot]

Didn't there use to be a thing called a canteen that hikers and campers carried and refilled with water. I think it also had VALUE because you had to buy it and because you paid your hard earned money for it you did not throw it away.
It is a shame we have come to this but we did it to ourselves. We continue to trash our country, then complain when someone wants to ban the trash. Look at any road or street in America near a town and you will see plastic bottles and plastic shopping bag. Ok off the soap box, next.

[TXiceman]

I am sick of the lazy-slob people and the designer water bottles. We regularly pick them up in front of our house. Left there by cars, walkers and joggers.

I don't have a problem one telling these slobs to pick it up and carry the bottle to a trash can.

I say we need to slap a really big fine on the slobs when they are caught, plus make them do 50 hours of public service picking up trash in public areas while wearing a safety orange shirt with the word Litterer on it.

Ken

[Rich and Cork]

Some cities are even banning the use of plastic bags for groceries, etc.

[Hipshot]

I believe Texas has something like a $1000 fine for littering, but I have NEVER heard of anyone in Texas getting a ticket for littering. A law that is not enforced is worse than no law at all.
I saw a program on TV about the uses for plastic water bottles. It was on a financial program about the Waste Management Company. They recycle all of the plastic water bottles they can get and sell them to companys that make cloth from them. They can't get enough from americans so thay import used water bottles from South America.
I agree some sort of deposit would help.

[historyljc]

Originally Posted by Rich and Cork

Some cities are even banning the use of plastic bags for groceries, etc.

Break my heart. Can't say that I ever cared for them to start with.

[JBDISCOVERY]

I think a deposit on all bottles: glass, plastic, aluminum, etc. would be good for America. We see too much litter on the roads as we travel. Michigan has a deposit law which helps to keep the roads clean. That is a good thing.
JimB

[Yellowreef]

There is a deposit here and people still toss them out the window. Cant fix stupid.

[JimM68]

I just don't understand what's wrong with the water that comes out of the tap?

Doncha know how the water get's into them bottles in the firstplace?
They pay someone to fill them OUTA THE TAP!!!

[SRT]

Originally Posted by edj

Contrary to what the marketers would like you to think, nobody was dying of thirst before the plastic water bottles came on the market. Back then, people got water from the faucet or drinking fountains.... Imagine that, what a concept....

Or we had canteens hooked to our belts (Be Prepared, ya, know).

[historyljc]

Originally Posted by edj

Contrary to what the marketers would like you to think, nobody was dying of thirst before the plastic water bottles came on the market. Back then, people got water from the faucet or drinking fountains.... Imagine that, what a concept....

I believe this is what the director is requiring, that adequate other source water be available before the plastic water bottles are banned by the parks.

I might point out that it is not only plastic water bottles that get thrown out on the side of the highways, and in our front yards. It is also beer and wine bottles, soft drink bottles and cans, bags and/or wrappers from McDonald's or other fast food establishments and any other thing that the DAs of America can think to throw out their windows to trash up the place. What we really need is to instill in all the kids growing up a sense of responsibility that they not trash this beautiful country.

However, in the present day, having seen how some of these "people" trash the places where they live I really have little hope that these same people will help keep our public parks and highways clean. Just think guys, how many don't lift the seat in public restrooms or even wash their hands afterward? What kind of expectations do you have of people like that?