Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Oakland has made what it terms an "eco-conscious decision" to discontinue the sale and use of bottled water and instead offers corn-based compostable cups and sells reusable plastic bottles for filtered water in its cafe.

Phipps said the removal of bottled water is part of an on-going initiative to reduce its "carbon footprint" -- the impact on the environment in terms of greenhouse gases emitted from all activities. In 2005, when its environmentally certified welcome center opened, Phipps decided to exclusively sell only locally bottled water to reduce high energy costs associated with production and shipping.

Phipps was selling the bottled water for $1.75. Now it's selling the reusable bottles, which are dark green, printed with the Phipps logo and are similar to bicycle or sports water bottles, for $2.25. The cups made from corn byproducts can biodegrade in as little as 50 days.

"As a model of sustainability in the community, we wish to educate our visitors with ways in which they can reduce human impact on the environment," said Richard V. Piacentini, Phipps' executive director. "Eliminating bottled water is another example of us going above and beyond our dedication to green buildings."

Phipps, which also banned the use of bottled water at all meetings and events in its buildings and on its grounds, is joining a trend away from plastic bottles, which environmental groups say produces plastic waste and uses oil.

Governments in Seattle, San Francisco and Santa Barbara, Calif., also have banned or restricted purchases of bottled water.

And in 2007, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which represents more than 1,100 cities, passed a resolution questioning the need for municipal purchases of single-use water bottles while cities already spend $43 billion a year keeping their own water supplies clean.