The City has talked a good game about recycling and cutting out waste, but city agencies have been slow to act. Finally after months of telling New Yorkers to stop using plastic water bottles, the City Council is falling in line and ridding itself of using plastic water bottles in the building and for functions.
From The NY Times:
Last week, the speaker’s office announced that it would stop buying bottled water for the Council’s downtown offices, which went through at least 6,000 single-serving bottles last year. As a result, bottled water will no longer be available at City Council events or official functions.
“We are obviously going to make paper cups available,” said Christine C. Quinn, the Council speaker. “We are going to urge people to bring in their own reusable water bottles.”
In addition, the city has started a pilot program with water coolers that use filtered tap water. Nine of the coolers have been installed in the last six months at City Hall and in the Municipal Building.
“It is a bit hypocritical for the city to be buying bottled water for city buildings while it is encouraging New Yorkers to drink city tap water,” said Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn councilman who pressed the cooler issue at budget hearings.
Just a lil' bit Mr. Felder, just a lil' bit. Good job on getting the Council to conserve plastic. It may be a small part of the waste New Yorkers make, but a step in the right direction is still movement. Now if only they could cut down on all those useless bills Council Members like to propose so their constituents think they're busy. Then we'd really be making a difference.
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