New sin tax: Bottled water

The city of Chicago may start taxing bottled water... up to 25 cents a bottle. Chicago is dealing with budget problems and the argument is that bottled water is a bad thing because of how all the plastic hurts the environment. Is this a good idea?

[simpleyme]

well it should be good for the city ,they get to make money of a product they do not have to buy or handle, I wish I could just start charging people for things that have nothing to do with me that would be a great passive income stream wouldn't it ?

anytime somebody walks passed the library they have to give me a dime,or better yet every time their dog poos they have to clean it up in a bag they have to buy and then mail me a quarter ,
I will go randomly harass people to make sure they are in compliance

i am in retail those laws bite

[poundwise]

It is absurd.

Period.

[jodi]

Personally, I think the idea of bottled water, is generally absurd. I can understand it if you live in an area with bad water (i.e. well water with sulfur), but what is wrong with tap water? I can't fathom spending $1+ every day to drink something I can get for free anywhere.
That being said...a tax is pretty severe. I am in support of putting a deposit on bottles, though, just like soda and liquor bottles here in NY. I have heard a lot of uproar about that idea, but I also see countless people throw their bottles in the garbage. Maybe a small deposit would lessen some of the litter and waste.

[humandraydel]

Agree with the deposit.

[disneysteve]

Personally, I think the idea of bottled water, is generally absurd.

I am in support of putting a deposit on bottles, though, just like soda and liquor bottles here in NY.

I agree with you on both points.

I don't see how a tax will help. People will still buy just as many bottles and just as many will end up in the landfill. A deposit makes far more sense as it will encourage more people to recycle them.

[simpleyme]

I am not against deposits but I do not like the way my state implements the deposit
I would like to see the bottles taken to redemption centers or recycling centers or the landfill

when the store buys the cans they are clean and sanitary and ready for sale when they are returned they are dirty slimy often tainted with spit and cigarette butts, covered in ants and of people love to put condoms on the bottles

yes the stores can refuse them but the filthy cans have already been brought into the store the beer in then leaking they stink and are garbage ,i do not think that grocery stores should be forced to process garbage and yes used bottles that have been sitting in your garage rolling around on your floorboard or that you found along side the road are garbage take it to the dump for recycling not someones private business

[tabbycat31]

in NY, the bottles are usually taken back at the grocery store. Most supermakerts have machines where you redeem them, then they print out a receipt where you can redeem for cash or use as a credit towards your grocery bill.

I would support a deposit on bottled water. I've drastically cut back on that. Tap water is fine by me :-)

[simpleyme]

you are right about the machines ,have you used them the are so clean and smell so nice ,also people hate them and take all their garbage to small stores to be counted

[FrugalFish]

Here in CA we already pay a deposit on all bottled water. I'm not sure it really helps that much because our rates just went up again since recycling compliance was not at the desired percentage- now costs .05 or .10 depending on the size of the container. A lot end up in landfills, but at least the ones on the side of the road are picked up by avid recyclers.

I'm in the camp that thinks it's silly to buy bottled water for daily use. I use to live in an agricultural area with terrible (and questionable) water- we resorted to using a high-end under faucet filter. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't anywhere as expensive as buying bottled water. OTOH I think it's silly to charge .25 for bottled water, but not for an identically bottled soda? Why is water the bad guy here?

[simpleyme]

I hate to reply so much in one thread ;-) as i know that the tax will pass and business will pay out the butt for enforcement and there is just nothing that can be done about it as people think that business can absorb all cost associated with everything ,


I always hope that people who think this way will one day become business owners and have to deal with the likes of themselves LOL

[vsjhoc]

I've been drinking bottled Evian for nearly 20 years -- well before it became chic to do so.

I can instantly tell the difference between it and any other bottled or tap water, which I hate. I once passed a blind taste test when I didn't even know I was being tested (ex-H set the table and poured water when I wasn't looking ... I took one sip and knew it wasn't Evian).

You might think it's absurd, but I'm sure almost everyone has something that they are brand-specific about, for example you'll drink Coke but not Pepsi.

[tabbycat31]

I live where some of the best tap water in the country is. My friend (lives in the same town) thinks that tap water=bad and goes as far as the dog only drinks bottled water.

I have used the supermarket machines before, not as much as I used to because I gave up soda. I never had any problems with them

[markusk]

I agree with the others that taxing bottled water is a bit extreme. I would also support a deposit (even 25 cents deposit).

Since someone brought up Evian....it is a brand of mineral water from several sources near Lake Geneva/French Alps. Think about it. They transport the water from France, bottle it and sell it in the US. Talk about a "large carbon foot print!" It's a huge use of resources just to transport the water (which we have plenty of in the US). Then the thousands (millions??) of empty bottles that lay in our landfills for how long...?

Then there is FIJI Water which is a brand of bottled water which is bottled in the Fiji Islands than shipped to the US....

Also the use of bottled water is being blamed for the rise of cavities in children. Our tap water, which no one drinks anymore, has flouride. Bottled water doesn't.

[Saving in So Cal]

Without commenting on the wisdom or legality of the tax, I can understand why this tax might be appealing to politicians. It raises revenue in a way that is not likely to disproportionately impact the poor. Any environmental benefits are just "icing on the cake."