College’s Bottled Water Ban Won’t Leave Students Thirsty

on February 2, 2012 at 5:16 PM

It seemed like a good idea at the time: As part of the University of Vermont's greening effort, the university decided to stop selling bottled water in its vending machines. Instead, it would be installing more filtered water fountains and selling re-usable water bottles. Everyone drinks water, no more plastic bottles, everybody wins. Right?

No, someone loses: The International Bottled Water Association. They're claiming the "water bottle ban" (because BAN always sounds MEAN! and NEGATIVE!) is "failing" college students. But I think the university is just giving students what they want.

In a press release, the IBWA says the "ban" on bottled water contradicts another UV rule that requires all vending machines to contain 1/3 healthy beverages. It's like juice and unsweetened tea never existed! (Let's not get into a debate over the relative healthfulness of juice here -- that's another post for another day.)

Look, bottled water has its place. Sometimes you forget to bring a bottle with you. Sometimes you're on the west side of Salt Lake City, where all the tap water tastes brackish. But at the University of Vermont? A school full of hippies in the woods? Please. This is one community that will embrace tap water. It's going to be okay.

The new rules were spearheaded by the Vermont Student Environmental Program -- not some cabal of bottle-hating administrators. But what this is really about is money. UVM is ending its exclusive "pouring rights" contract with Coca-Cola of New England. This actually means MORE choices for the students. They won't be stuck with just Coca-Cola drinks. The school can now sell locally-brewed kombucha or whatever the hell they want. And that's the kind of choice the students prefer, anyway.

What do you think of the University of Vermont's decision to stop selling bottled water in campus vending machines?

Image via Muffet/Flickr

About the author Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her husband and elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.

Filed Under: drinks, eco-friendly, healthy choices, in the news

Comments (13)

Jespren

on Feb 2, 2012 at 6:11 PM

As long as the tap water is actually drinkable this makes some sense. On the other hand, a lot of people buy stuff from vending machines because it's cold. So unless the fountain water is cold (and certainly some are) you'll just have ppl who would otherwise buy a cold water buying a cold something-else. Frankly vending machines are so overpriced I never buy anything from them, and I didn't in college either.

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daddysgf

on Feb 2, 2012 at 6:26 PM

My school has one of these "bans" as well... they say it's to discourage the use of plastic bottles that fill up landfills etc. I've yet to go to a single class and NOT see plastic water bottles... Personally, I think it's annoying. Some times I don't want juice but forgot my Nalgene bottle at home.

happynugget6

on Feb 2, 2012 at 6:30 PM

The tap water where I live is so disgusting we get warning letters its not safe for pregnant women cause it causes birth defects. So I'm going to keep buying bottled water

Jmsosa

on Feb 2, 2012 at 6:38 PM

A filtered bottle filling station is a lot different than just tap water. It's like using a Brita filter. I think this is a great idea, b/c cutting down on your use of plastic bottles is a really easy way to help the environment. Plus, it saves you money.

SierraLynn

on Feb 2, 2012 at 6:45 PM

I have a brita water bottle. Love it. Havnt bought a bottle of water in a long time. Each filter costs about 5 bucks and lasts 2-3 months. I say, win.

Nonmember comment from Emme

on Feb 2, 2012 at 7:34 PM

I think it's brilliant. I went to Rutgers University in New Brunswick and before I graduated, students were trying to have the school install little stations where students could bring their reusable water bottles to refill as an effort to save the environment. I loved the idea. And I feel horrible about this, but, despite owning a Brita, I buy 2.5 gallon jugs of water from Target to drink. I moved to a town where the tap water is very questionable and tastes horrible even when it's filtered. My husband can taste it too, but doesn't mind so he uses the Brita. The water also, for whatever reason, has a slight orange tint to it. I use water that's been filtered through a Brita pitcher for my cats' water fountain and when I clean it, there's actually a thick, mucus-y layer of orange gunk stuck onto the fountain's filter - totally gross. I really have no idea what's up with the water here, but it makes me want to move.

Lynette

on Feb 2, 2012 at 8:04 PM

those filters are not taking out the fluoride. which is one of the reasons some buy bottled water.

Nonmember comment from Lea Smith

on Feb 2, 2012 at 8:18 PM

The thing with bottled water is that it is the same water that you can get out of a tap. Serriously, unless the water in your area does not meet drinking standards then the bottled water does not change anything. They are not even required to be as clean as tap water.

LuckyPlusOne

on Feb 2, 2012 at 8:24 PM

My dh's school started putting those water bottle fountains in preparation for removing bottled water. General opinion is that it's great and everyone has a nalgene bottle with them all the time. Its a great idea for broke college kids, you never have to worry about finding enough change for water, its there all the time and free. Dh says he isnow drinking enough water and has stopped buying soda altogether because he never even stops at a vending machine.

shannipoo714

on Feb 2, 2012 at 9:53 PM

This article would have had more merit if the author had left out the comments about UVM being full of hippies in the woods. Long way off the truth there.