The city by the bay is definitely an eco-trendsetter. After all, it was the first to institute a ban on plastic bags way back in 2007. (Several other cities and an entire state later followed suit.) It also diverts everything from recyclables to compostables and even unwanted clothes from landfills. And now, it might prohibit the disposable plastic water bottle as well.
The easy-to-transport drinking vessel is currently on the endangered species list in San Francisco. The city’s Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a measure that would ban the sale of plastic water bottles 21 ounces or smaller at events held on city property. If approved a second time by the board and the city’s mayor, the ban would go into effect starting on October 1 for indoor events and in 2016 for outdoor events, SFGate reports.
“We all know with climate change, and the importance of combating climate change, San Francisco has been leading the way to fight for our environment. That’s why I ask you to support this ordinance to reduce and discourage single-use, single-serving plastic water bottles in San Francisco,” said City Supervisor David Chiu, the author of the ordinance. “I want to remind people that not long ago, our world was not addicted to plastic water bottles. Before (the 1990s), for centuries, everybody managed to stay hydrated.”
MORE: Can Rain Solve West Virginia’s Tap Water Problem?
Could your city be next to take on this bottled environmental scourge?