Big Water Companies Are Trying To Stop The National Parks From Banning The Sale Of Bottled Water

Nothing would spoil a trip to the Grand Canyon like plastic bottles littering the canyon trails, and the wildlife in Yellowstone National Park probably isn't too keen on trash invading their environment. The National Park Service is trying to cut down on litter in national parks by banning the sale of bottled water in the parks, encouraging visitors to fill reusable ones instead. Already, many individual parks ban bottled water.

However, the International Bottled Water Association is trying to block the referendum, and nearly 200 brands of water, including Deer Park, Fiji, and Evian, are trying to make sure that bottled water is still sold in parks by pushing a little-noticed amendment to a House spending bill that would overturn the action.

"This is a prominent, misleading attack on bottled water that has no justification," Chris Hogan, vice president of communications for the International Bottled Water Association, told The Washington Post. "Bans on the sale of bottled water contradict the Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative, which promotes more healthy food and beverage choices in national parks."

The organization calls the ban a "misguided attempt" to help the environment, since there has been no attempt to ban the sale of soft drinks. In this new amendment, bottled water in general would not be banned (you could still bring in your own bottles), and signs would have to be posted often telling visitors where they can refill their bottles.