Butchart Gardens bans sale of bottled water

Butchart Gardens has banned single-use plastic waterbottles in an effortto help the battle against harmful plastics in environment.

The popular tourist attraction near Victoria, B.C., made the announcement to mark World Water Day. It says the move will eliminate about 80,000 plastic bottles from the environment each year.

"We hope we are going to bring forward an awareness that in this world either you are part of the solution or you are part of the problem,"saidBob Parrotta,the director of food services for Butchart Gardens.

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Parotta said he pitched the idea to the owners of the attraction about a year ago after discussions with others about the environmental impact of the single-use water bottles.

"We all individually have to make our own decisions to go forward in a manner that is healthier for the world, the earth, and for ourselves," Parotta toldOn The Island host Gregor Craigie.

"If by what we are doing here wecan help other people make a decision to make that change in their life, then we just feel that we are better for it."

Visitors are being encouraged to bring re-usable water bottles that can be filled at several drinking water stations located around the property.

Butchart Gardens is also now selling re-usable souvenir water bottles for $3.95 thesame price it used to charge for a bottle of water.