Coca Cola nixes bottle ban for Grand Canyon

[B the Hiker]

The Grand Canyon's head ranger wanted to ban the sale of small disposable water bottles, which end up generating roughly 30% of the trash left on the ground in the park. The ban worked successfully in Zion National Park, which received an award for environmental improvements due to the ban.

Coca Cola sells roughly $400,000 worth of said water bottles in Grand Canyon National Park a year. It contacted the head of the National Parks Foundation--since they are a major donor, and he had the ban nixed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/s...nd-canyon-bottle-ban.html?pagewanted=1&ref=us



Brian

 

[Tom Rankin]

The Grand Canyon's head ranger wanted to ban the sale of small disposable water bottles, which end up generating roughly 30% of the trash left on the ground in the park.

I was almost going to condemn Coke for this but:

1. Everyone should be well hydrated in dry climates.
   
2. It's not Coke's fault that idiots litter. If it was some other company supplying the bottles, nothing about littering would change. (Nothing annoys me more when hiking than finding an empty plastic bottle. It wasn't too heavy to carry UP the mountain when it was FULL, why the @#$& can't you carry the EMPTY one back DOWN? )

On the other hand, bottled water is a travesty to begin with!

The modern world really is confusing at times!

 

[DSettahr]

It's not Coke's fault that idiots litter.

From the article, it sounds like improperly disposed litter wasn't the main issue they were trying to address. Rather, I think they were trying to cut down on the overall amount of trash that is generated in the park, whether it's disposed of properly or improperly.

Are National Parks not "carry in, carry out?" If they were, I bet at least some people would think twice about purchasing a disposable water bottle vs. bringing a reusable water bottle from home.

 

[Craig]

Interesting. It seems that Jon Jarvis’s hand is frequently seen near the cookie jar.

Thanks for posting Brian

 

[Seeker]

Thanks for posting! We were just in Zion, and I thought their program was admirable!

 

[Tom Rankin]

Are National Parks not "carry in, carry out?" If they were, I bet at least some people would think twice about purchasing a disposable water bottle vs. bringing a reusable water bottle from home.

I thought so as well, that was why I made the assumption (perhaps incorrect) that is was litter.

 

[DougPaul]

Are National Parks not "carry in, carry out?" If they were, I bet at least some people would think twice about purchasing a disposable water bottle vs. bringing a reusable water bottle from home.

Or you could (horrors!) reuse a "disposable" water bottle a few times before discarding.

I have done this a number of times: fly somewhere, buy (the cheapest) bottled water, reuse the bottles while hiking, and discard just before flying home.

Note: Plastic bottled-water bottles tend to be fairly delicate and don't last very long before leaking. Soda bottles are much sturdier and can be reused in the same way.

Doug

 

[TDawg]

Or you could (horrors!) reuse a "disposable" water bottle a few times before discarding.

Agreed. I hiked the Long Trail using mostly the same Glaceau "Smart Water" bottles. Thinner and easier to get in and out of the tight Osprey pack side water bottle holders than Nalgene or Sigg. Bottles held up just fine.

 

[RoySwkr]

It wasn't too heavy to carry UP the mountain when it was FULL, why the @#$& can't you carry the EMPTY one back DOWN?

Ah, but in the Grand Canyon you have to carry the empty back up!

I hate the thought of people who feel good about recycling bottles they didn't need in the first place!

 

[Tom Rankin]

I have done this a number of times: fly somewhere, buy (the cheapest) bottled water, reuse the bottles while hiking, and discard just before flying home.

You can always stuff stuff in a Nalgene bottle when you travel, fill it with water for the hike, and stuff stuff in it for the return journey....

 

[Steve-o]

Ah, but in the Grand Canyon you have to carry the empty back up!

Haha! was thinking the same thing. Ugh... what a PITA !

 

[DougPaul]

Ah, but in the Grand Canyon you have to carry the empty back up!

Haha! was thinking the same thing. Ugh... what a PITA !

Actually it's better than when climbing a mountain...
* When hiking a mountain, you have to carry the heavy full bottle up and the light empty down.
* When hiking in a canyon, you carry the heavy full bottle down and the light empty up.

(You also get to consume your food so you don't have to carry it back up.)

Of course, if it's a dry route in a desert canyon, you may have to cache water on the way down as well as carry water back up so you can make it out...

Doug

 

[B the Hiker]

It is perhaps worth noting for those who didn't get a chance to read the article that the rangers spent $300,000 on new water providers at various locations.

 

[Little Rickie]

It's a litter problem and that is a people problem not: Cokes, candy bar wappers, ziplock bags, cigerett butts, TP.....

Education and fines will reduce some/most littler but some will always be around. As usual we will do our best and a brainless "few" will always be out there screwing up.

 

[DougPaul]

It's a litter problem and that is a people problem not: Cokes, candy bar wappers, ziplock bags, cigerett butts, TP.....

Education and fines will reduce some/most littler but some will always be around. As usual we will do our best and a brainless "few" will always be out there screwing up.

From the article, it sounds like improperly disposed litter wasn't the main issue they were trying to address. Rather, I think they were trying to cut down on the overall amount of trash that is generated in the park, whether it's disposed of properly or improperly.

As DSettahr notes, the article only mentions trash, not litter. Thus we can draw no conclusions from this article about the number of disposable water bottles that become litter.

And GC is a hot desert area--anything that encourages novices to carry water is likely to improve safety. (Experienced desert travelers/hikers will already know enough to carry plenty of water.) (I'm not arguing against the bad, just noting that there may be location-dependent trade-offs.)

Trash and litter are expensive to remove from the canyon itself--they must be man-packed or mule-packed out.

Doug

 

[Craig]

It is perhaps worth noting for those who didn't get a chance to read the article that the rangers spent $300,000 on new water providers at various locations.

Peer has filed a lawsuit to obtain documentation that would shed light on whether this was a quid pro quo by Jon Jarvis as was his involvement in the Rainier scandal.

 

[TDawg]

And the plot thickens....

Thanks for the post, Craig.

 

[Stan]

Do real men buy bottled water?

I thought we filled reusable canteens, water bottles and bladders from clear mountain streams and filtered water from dubious sources including our taps. Must be those damn civilians making all that garbage.

IMNSHO bottled water is one of the more benign products of Coca Cola but give them credit, they and their founders have been quite generous to the environment in ways we seldom hear about or appreciate.

 

[Craig]

And the plot thickens....

Thanks for the post, Craig.

This is a well written article on this issue that helps to illuminates the relationship of concessions and NPS officials.

Jon Jarvis is knee deep in this "Pile O' Crap" as he was in the Rainier "Pile O' Crap.

When I heard about the proposal, I wanted to better understand the servicewide implications, as this affects more than the Grand Canyon.

What he's saying is, that banning water bottles in the Grand Canyon will set a precedence throughout the NPS. Coca Cola and the other concessionaires throughout the NPS are scared they will loose the revenues too. So Jon Jarvis is more interested in his constituents than the the environment of the NPS.

It will be interesting to see if the media will be able to maintain a "full on press" on this issue.
I suspect unless Peer can find a smoking gun through their lawsuit over a lack of response to their freedom of information act request, this will go nowhere just like Rainier.

 

[MichaelJ]

The proposed ban was reprised and made official.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/ShaunMcKinnon/154530

The National Park Service announced {earlier this month} it would ban the sale of water bottled in plastic containers within the park boundaries, more than a year after the move was first announced and then delayed amid rumors that water bottler Coca Cola opposed the decision.

The restrictions, which take effect within 30 days, are in line with a new park service policy spelled out in December under which all parks are to stop selling plastic water bottles within their boundaries. Each park will develop its own timetable.