News Release

For Release March 22nd, 2017

The Butchart Gardens Discontinues Sale of Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles

Move will eliminate 80,000 single-use plastic water bottles each year from the environment

March 22^nd, 2017 Victoria, B. C. – In recognition of World Water Day, The Butchart Gardens has removed the sale of all single-use plastic water bottles as an extension of their existing environmental practices. Instead, The Gardens is encouraging visitors to bring their own water bottles to fill at one of four double-filtered water stations located around The Gardens. Each water station boasts a drinking fountain, bottle filler and a doggy water dish.

“With this initiative we aim to drive awareness of the serious threat plastic poses to our environment, in particular single-use plastic water bottles,” said Bob Parrotta, Director of Food Services for The Butchart Gardens. “We have chosen today to announce our new direction in an effort to bring attention to World Water Day which is marked on 22nd of March every year. It’s a day to celebrate water and to prepare for how we manage water in the future.”

According to Ottawa’s Polaris Institute, bottled water is 240 – 10,000 times more expensive than tap water and the amount of oil used for the production of bottled water in 2010 was the equivalent to putting 1 million cars on the road.

Forgot your water bottle? The Butchart Gardens will have reusable ‘keepsake’ water bottles for sale for $3.00, the cost of purchasing a single-use serving.

The Butchart Gardens is an internationally renowned 55-acre (22 hectare) display garden located near Victoria, British Columbia. Created in 1904 by Jennie Butchart, and still privately owned and operated by family descendants, The Gardens has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada and welcomes over one million visitors a year.

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Media Contact:
Bob Parrotta
Director, Food Service
250-652-4422
BobParrotta@ButchartGardens.com