SUN JOURNAL • April 11, 2021
Bottled water is an essential product. Lawmakers in Augusta, however, are seeking to outlaw the sale of standard water bottles as part of their effort to reduce plastic waste. This policy isn’t just shortsighted, it’s dangerous. Maine faces two significant threats to its tap water supply: hurricanes and freezing temperatures. Families in Maine need access to clean water that can be stored. Even supporters of the bottled water ban agreed. Committee Chair Sen. Stacy Brenner suggested families switch to “boxed water or aluminum cans.” Brenner’s recommendations won’t help. Aluminum is sourced from bauxite mines which are devastating to the local environments where it is dug up overseas. Cartons are less recyclable than plastic. ~ Will Coggin, Essential Plastics Coalition, Washington, D.C.