Chicago Botanic Garden

for immediate release

No More Bottled Water: Chicago Botanic Garden
Serving Lake Michigan Tap Water

New move saves energy, reduces carbon emissions

 

Media Only:
Gloria Ciaccio
(847) 835-6819
gciaccio@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (June 12, 2008)—In an effort to conserve energy and commit to sustainable practices, the Chicago Botanic Garden will no longer serve or sell bottled water. The change began on June 5, in conjunction with GWorld Environment Day, at which the Garden served as the North American host site. In 2007, the Garden sold over 96,000 bottles of water.

“Manufacturing, shipping, recycling and disposing of bottled water uses an enormous amount of energy and creates unnecessary waste,” said Stephen Bell, director of sustainable operations at the Chicago Botanic Garden. “And, since the Chicago area has some of the cleanest and best-tasting tap water in the country, we decided that it doesn’t make sense to buy bottled water that is shipped from various places around the world.”

Visitors can purchase reusable water bottles at the Garden and will also have easy access to free, clean local water at the Garden Café and at the numerous drinking fountains throughout the property.

“This is a major step in the Garden’s vision for sustainability and in its ongoing efforts to address global environmental issues. By making the decision to stop offering bottled water at our facilities, we are conserving water and energy, reducing waste and carbon emissions,” said Bell. “Bottled water is one of the most easily replaceable of the unsustainable products available to us and we can easily make a difference by drinking free tap water for hydration instead.”

Making bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 U.S. cars for a whole year. Plus, it takes two gallons of water to purify every gallon of water used to fill water bottles. Other issues are the energy required to recycle the bottles (nationwide, only 25 percent of plastic water bottles are recycled) and the 1,000 years it takes for bottles to biodegrade in landfills.

Not all bottled water is purified and FDA guidelines on bottled water are less stringent than those imposed on tap water by the EPA. Also, bottled water comes from tap water sources 25 percent of the time.

Reusable bottles that do not contain BPA, a chemical that may alter hormonal responses especially in young people, may be used instead. The Garden Café will be giving away biodegradable cups, which can be filled at dispensers in the Café and at fountains located throughout the Garden.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.