Anti-Bottle Water Campaign
Loyola University Chicago
After a year long educational “UnCap Loyola” campaign, a majority of students passed a referendum to phase out bottled water on Loyola’s Chicago campuses. The campign was led by the Student Environmental Alliance in partnership with Loyola’s Unified Student Governemtn Association.
“We consider the sale of bottled water on campus in conflict with the Jesuit tradition and Loyola’s mission ‘to be in service of humanity through learning, justice and faith.’ We feel that safe and accessible water is a fundamental human right and must not be handled in ways that put profits over people,” SEA and USGA representatives said in a joint statement.
Sustainable Alternative to Bottle Water
Loyola’s administration has supported water conservation efforts on campus by distributing reusable bottles to students and guests, installing 35 bottle refill stations at key locations around the Lake Shore and Water Tower campuses and implementing water conservation projects in buildings and on the grounds of Loyola.
“It is exciting to see the leadership and commitment from the students on the topic of water,” said Aaron Durnbaugh, director of sustainability at Loyola. “With our location on the banks of the greatest fresh water resource in the world, our drinking water could be taken for granted, but the students recognize its value and our responsibility to protect and preserve this resource for all.”
The next steps in this campaign to phase out bottled water on campus will be the removal of bottled water from dining service venues and catering starting fall 2012. Bottled water will then be removed from vending and other contracts in 2013.
Source: Loyola Press Release
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