Who Wants Disposable Plastic Water Bottles in National Parks?
Since 2011, roughly 20 national parks have banned the sale of plastic water bottles at concession stands and vending machines as part of the National Park Service’s effort to stop waste. In fact, disposable water bottles alone make up one third of all trash dumped in America’s national parks, according to a survey by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
Meanwhile, the bottled water industry has spent big money lobbying Congress to overturn all bans on water bottles, according to The Washington Post. The International Bottled Water Association, which represents 200 bottlers, recently made strides toward this goal after Republican congressman Keith Rothfus agreed to slip an amendment that could nix the National Park Service’s current efforts into a House spending bill.