|
Leeds students ban bottled water
Martin Wainwright
London
Guardian
Monday, Feb 2, 2009
Students at one of Britain's biggest universities
have become the first in the country to ban bottled still water
from all their bars, cafes and shops, sacrificing annual profits
of £32,000.
A referendum at Leeds University has voted overwhelmingly to
phase out the product by the end of next year, to allow campus
stores to absorb the loss of their biggest-selling line.
More than 200,000 bottles of still water were sold by the university
union's outlets last year to students, whose bags and backpacks
habitually have the plastic containers peeping from pockets.
National sales of bottled water have risen rapidly in the last
decade and now account for 5% of all drinks purchased.
(Article continues below)
"It's a measure of concern about the environment, putting
sustainability before profit," says Tom Salmon of Leeds
University Union, which saw 4,000 students vote on the issue
– an exceptional turnout. "We've got to pull bottled
water off the shelves by 2010 and bring in new lines of affordable,
reusable water bottles instead."
The union, whose main bar is one of Britain's largest single
drink outlets, will install free drinking fountains on the main
campus as part of the initiative, and at residences and blocks
of student flats. A campaign will be launched to promote tap
water along the lines of the region's successful promotion three
years ago, with the slogan: "Yorkshire water – ask
for it by name".
Full
article here
|
INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
|
|
