Water Cycle is once again participating in Farmers Market, providing drinking water delivered on a bicycle, combining mobility, accessibility and water delivery.
It’s part of a campaign that aims to reduce the use of single-use plastics.
“The Water Cycle is a part of the #loveNWTwater campaign. … and to raise awareness about the benefits of drinking safe, local NWT water,” said Brandon Pludwinski, Ecology North’s environmental education project officer.
“Ecology North likes to think of the Water Cycle as a low-tech solution in a high-tech world. It helps to fill a gap at public events by ensuring free, local, safe, and accessible water, without the environmental impacts of a single-use plastic bottle, for all. In addition, it is important to us to contribute to the vision the Farmers Market has for ensuring the market is as sustainable as possible.”
Ecology North office manager Emily McInnis noted that a report on the NWT’s plastic water bottle consumption rates in 2016 showed that the global plastic water bottle industry is valued at approximately $170 billion, and North Americans are among the top consumers.
The report also found that bottled water uses up to 2,000 times more energy to produce and distribute, 125-150mL of oil is used in the production of a single bottle, among 15 per cent of them in the Territories are not recyclable and ended up in the landfills where might take them 150 years to decompose.
Farmers Market manager Sarah Pruys said she believes this could be a good way to keep the visitors and vendors hydrated while waiting in line.
Though there is a water bottle refill station within the bathrooms at the market, not everyone knows about it and it is not always working properly.
Pruys uses social media to remind people to bring a bottle with them.
She added that the market also has a loyalty card program in place that encourages people to bring reusable containers. After bringing reusable containers to five markets, customers receive a $20 voucher that can be used at any vendor at the market.