To: Northwestern University
Ban the Sale of Plastic Water Bottles on Northwestern University's Evanston Campus
I support:
1. The ban of plastic water bottle sales on Northwestern University’s Evanston Campus.
Through the following framework:
2. The formation of a committee of stakeholders, including administrators, students, and industry representatives to review the university’s policy toward plastic water bottles on campus.
3. The upgrade of water fountains to include bottle refilling stations.
4. The provision of free or inexpensive reusable water bottles to students.
For more information, to suggest locations for water fountain upgrades, or to suggest ways to ease the transition to a plastic water bottle free campus please visit: www.puraplaya.org
1. The ban of plastic water bottle sales on Northwestern University’s Evanston Campus.
Through the following framework:
2. The formation of a committee of stakeholders, including administrators, students, and industry representatives to review the university’s policy toward plastic water bottles on campus.
3. The upgrade of water fountains to include bottle refilling stations.
4. The provision of free or inexpensive reusable water bottles to students.
For more information, to suggest locations for water fountain upgrades, or to suggest ways to ease the transition to a plastic water bottle free campus please visit: www.puraplaya.org
Why is this important?
At this moment, our oceans are filled with 315 billion pounds of plastic, which collects in giant sinks. Think of a plastic soup seasoned with toxic chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA). These toxins are harmful to humans, the marine environment, and our ecosystems.
So what is the first step in solving this problem? Stop using unnecessary plastics like bottled water, which are expensive and detrimental to our environment:
1. Bottled water is 2,800 times more expensive than tap water.
2. Chemical additives found in plastic water bottles can be harmful to human health.
3. Bottled water is not always safer since bottled water companies are not required by law to report quality testing results or to disclose their water sources to consumers.
4. Five of every six plastic water bottles are not recycled, crowding landfills and polluting the environment.
5. The total amount of energy required to produce every bottle is equivalent to filling a plastic bottle ¼ full with oil.
6. It takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water.
7. More than 25% of bottled water brands are drawn from municipal water supplies, the same place that tap water comes from.
A number of universities, including Washington University in St. Louis and Loyola University Chicago have already banned the sale of plastic water bottles on their campuses.
Our Engineers for a Sustainable World team, Pura Playa, seeks to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus (note: this does not include non-water drinks like soda, juice, etc.). Help us restore our oceans to their natural states by signing the petition below.
Sources:
1. 5 Gyres Institute
2. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
3. Environmental Protection Agency
4. U.S. Government Accountability Office
5. National Geographic
6. Pacific Institute
So what is the first step in solving this problem? Stop using unnecessary plastics like bottled water, which are expensive and detrimental to our environment:
1. Bottled water is 2,800 times more expensive than tap water.
2. Chemical additives found in plastic water bottles can be harmful to human health.
3. Bottled water is not always safer since bottled water companies are not required by law to report quality testing results or to disclose their water sources to consumers.
4. Five of every six plastic water bottles are not recycled, crowding landfills and polluting the environment.
5. The total amount of energy required to produce every bottle is equivalent to filling a plastic bottle ¼ full with oil.
6. It takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water.
7. More than 25% of bottled water brands are drawn from municipal water supplies, the same place that tap water comes from.
A number of universities, including Washington University in St. Louis and Loyola University Chicago have already banned the sale of plastic water bottles on their campuses.
Our Engineers for a Sustainable World team, Pura Playa, seeks to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus (note: this does not include non-water drinks like soda, juice, etc.). Help us restore our oceans to their natural states by signing the petition below.
Sources:
1. 5 Gyres Institute
2. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
3. Environmental Protection Agency
4. U.S. Government Accountability Office
5. National Geographic
6. Pacific Institute