Last week the University of Winnipeg became the first Canadian university to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on campus. In a referendum held by the U of W Students’ Association, almost 75 per cent of students voted in favour of the ban.
The sale of water bottles will be phased out by Fall 2009. Students will be encouraged to bring reusable bottles, and three water fountains will be installed in thoroughfares.
The campaign to ban plastic bottle has been ongoing for over a year, a joint effort between the Canadian Federation of Students, the Sierra Youth Club, and the Polaris Institute.
“Students at the University of Winnipeg have great pride for our campus,” said UWSA president Vinay Iyer. “The fact that we have joined with our administration and taken ownership over our environmental impact on campus sends a strong message across the country—it was a community effort.”
