Recycling response
Canada’s bottled water industry is supportive of community environmental initiatives, however some inaccuracies from the Let’s Talk Trash Team [“Plastic water bottles: A thing of the past?” Peak Weekender, May 12, 2017] need to be addressed.
For most Canadians, drinking tap or bottled water is not an either-or conversation; 91 per cent of bottled-water drinkers drink tap water at home and use bottled water only as a convenient on-the-go option.
Plastic water bottles are also one of the most recycled packaging materials across Canada. According to Encorp Pacific, which runs BC’s province-wide Return-It program, 77 per cent of plastic beverage containers were recycled in 2015. These recycled containers are then sold to recycling plants in Vancouver and Calgary and used to make new containers, strapping material and fibres. This process provides 86 per cent more savings in energy than would be required to manufacture these items from raw materials.
Finally, consumers should take comfort in the safety of bottled water and its packaging. Bottled water is strictly regulated by Health Canada, and modern polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles do not contain Bisphenol A (BPA). Further information on the safety of bottled water is available on Health Canada’s website: hc-sc.gc.ca.
The Canadian Beverage Association and its members fully support a functional municipal water infrastructure, as strong municipal water systems are as important to the Canadian beverage industry as they are to all citizens.
Jim Goetz, president
Canadian Beverage Association
Unfounded result
Looking at this year’s provincial election results [“Editorial: Riding representation,” May 17], I found the notion of negative voting to be totally unfounded.
In the 2013 election, the BC Liberals received roughly 44 per cent of the popular vote compared to 40 per cent for the New Democratic Party (NDP), eight per cent for BC Green Party and roughly eight per cent for other parties or independents.
In the 2017 preliminary count, BC Liberals received 41 per cent, NDP received 40 per cent, BC Greens had roughly 17 per cent and the others combined for two per cent.
So where did the BC Green Party get all the votes? Did they steal them from the NDP like every one feared? No. Have a closer look.
In the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding in 2013, BC Liberals received 33 per cent, NDP 55 per cent and BC Green Party approximately 12 per cent of the votes. In 2017, BC Liberals received 24.5 per cent while BC Greens received 24 per cent (double the 2013 total) and the NDP had 51 per cent in a rather substantial victory.
So, I need to ask again, did the Greens steal all the votes from the NDP? Same answer: obviously not.
Please keep this in mind when you vote, and please vote in all elections.
Ben Fairless
Georgia Crescent
