The use and sale of water bottles has recently evolved into a hot-button issue, as the common beverage container is piling up in our landfills. As of last year, over 90 universities and colleges have implemented bans or heavy restrictions on the sale of water bottles in an effort to reduce plastic consumption and waste. More and more universities, such as UC Santa Cruz, are currently pushing for bans. Two years ago, the Student Sustainability Collective at UCSD proposed a water bottle ban to reduce plastic consumption for our campus that ultimately did not go through. While the intentions behind these bans are admirable, due to the fact that the production of 300 million tons of plastic per year is taking its toll on the environment, this is still not the right choice for UCSD. This type of ban is overly stringent because it takes away a consumer’s choice to purchase a useful product, and would not effectively address other ways that people could reduce waste.
Although bans prevent the sale of water bottles, they can’t stop individuals from acquiring them in other ways. The ban simply provides an inconvenient obstacle to consumers who want to purchase the product anyway. According to The Boston Globe, water bottle sales at a local convenience store rose 10 to 20 percent in Acton, Mass. after the neighboring town of Concord passed a ban on the sale of water bottles. Rather than adhere to the ban, many citizens of Concord traveled the extra 10 miles just to purchase their water bottles. A ban on campus would be ineffective as well, as students would simply have to go off campus to the nearest grocery store to pick up a pack of water bottles.
Consumption of bottled water has increased over the past several years, so a ban on campuses with only several thousand inhabitants will have little tangible effect. According to National Geographic, in 2011, bottled water consumption grew to an all-time high of 9.1 billion gallons in the United States — even after 15 universities had already implemented a ban on bottled water. Considering the staggering amount of bottled water that is consumed by the U.S., a couple of bans across college campuses isn’t going to make a dent in the problem. It will take a conscious effort of all of society to make the types of changes that will bring about real progress in reducing plastic waste.
Yes, water bottles produce waste that’s detrimental to the environment, but the fact that water bottles are a both a huge convenience to people on the go and provide a healthy drinking option validates their use. Many products, like cars, for example, come with their environmental consequences, but the need for convenient transportation justifies their use as well. Instead of banning the product altogether, it is better to make people aware of the effects of their choice to use water bottles and allow them to weigh the benefits of its use versus its consequences.
If universities want to make a social statement about the issue of plastic waste, they can raise public awareness through ad campaigns or other methods that don’t involve a complete ban. To employ a variation of the “give a man a fish, teach a man to fish” proverb, banning water bottles will not teach effective conservation policies — it would only address one aspect of this country’s issues with excess waste. On the other hand, educating the public about different types of environmental issues and how they can make a difference in their own everyday lives is the best way to give them an incentive to change various aspects of their lifestyle to reduce waste.
Currently, the Sustainability Resource Center at UCSD is doing just that with its “Own Your Impact” campaign. The SRC offers online pledges that suggest ideas that students can take up in efforts to live more sustainable lifestyles in areas such as waste, energy, and transportation. Campaigns like these are the best way to get students informed and active about conservation. UCSD currently gives every incoming freshman a reusable plastic water bottle and has implemented “hydration stations” around campus for students to refill their water bottles. Presenting optional rather than forced lifestyle changes grants students the freedom to choose the more environmentally responsible option.
Although the incentive behind banning plastic water bottles is commendable, a ban is not a reasonable option. The goal should still be to reduce plastic waste, but it should be done in a way that involves education of the public, while still allowing individuals to make their own personal choices.
