Western will stop selling plastic bottled water on campus by January 2024, in a move to encourage students to bring reusable water bottles and reduce plastic waste.
Single-use plastic water bottles will not be banned on campus, but they will no longer be sold in vending machines, residence dining halls or at Hospitality Services-operated eateries.
Western’s Facilities Management has installed more than 200 water bottle refill stations around campus to ensure community members have free access to water on campus.
The university initially implemented the “Refill. Rehydrate. Repeat.” campaign in residence buildings in September and will extend it to other buildings on campus by January.
“I think it’s a really important thing for Western to be doing and so I’m proud that we’re taking this step,” said Heather Hyde, Western’s director of sustainability. “The feedback in residence at least initially seems to be very positive. So I’m optimistic that it will be positively received across campus.”
Western has installed new signage in residence to allow students to see water refill stations from a distance and will put them up around campus.
This initiative aligns with Western’s commitments to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 6. Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all is a basic human need for health and well-being.
“Free accessible water is a human right and so really this initiative is supporting providing access to free water on campus — and so what we’re banning is equivalent to what you get out of a faucet or drinking fountain,” said Hyde.
Hyde explained this initiative does not extend to carbonated or flavoured beverages because it does not fall under the sustainability goals of granting free access to water. Other beverages sold in bottles including soda are not available from a tap or for free, so they will continue to be sold as is.
For large events and emergencies, bottled water will still be available to ensure the safety of guests.
The University Students’ Council voted to adopt the Western Blue Community proposal in March that advocated for the university to remove single-use plastic water bottles by the end of summer.
The university’s main campus is not yet a certified Blue Community, a community that supports a water commons framework, recognizing water is a shared resource for all. The City of London, as well as two of Western’s affiliate colleges — Brescia University College in 2021 and Huron University College in 2022 — have already been recognized as Blue Communities.
Source: westerngazette.ca
