Ontario Campuses Start Challenge: Which Ontario Campus will be the First to kick the bottle and back the TAP?
Campus organizers from across Ontario are racing to see whose campus can go bottled water free first. The Ontario Bottled Water Free Campus Challenge is a challenge initiated by more than 20 Ontario campuses that are actively working to restrict bottled water while promoting accessible public water infrastructure on campus.
Over the last 12 months three Canadian campuses—The University of Winnipeg (Manitoba), Memorial University (Newfoundland & Labrador) and Brandon University (Manitoba)—all signed water declarations to end the sale and distribution of bottled water and promote public water on campus. To date no Ontario campus has banned bottled water.
Joanna MacDonald, from TapIn at the University of Guelph says, “Ontario Campus organizers are taking things to the next level with this challenge. There is no better way to convey the urgency for action to the administration and students on our campuses then by including them in a race to the finish line!”
The Ontario Bottled Water Free Campus Challenge commences three weeks before Canada’s first Bottled Water Free Day on March 11th, 2010 (www.bottledwaterfreeday.ca). Public awareness about the environmental, health, social and economic impacts of bottled water is increasing, and the momentum to move away from bottled water and get back to the tap is growing.
Elly Adeland, Water and Energy Campaigner of the Polaris Institute and organizer of Bottled Water Free Day says, “The bottled water industry is less regulated than municipal water systems, consumes more energy and releases more harmful toxins into the environment than tap water—yet the question remains which Ontario campus will be the first to kick the bottle and back the tap? “
For more information please email Elly at: elly@polarisinstitute.org
My school will be participating in this event by displaying posters and making morning announcements!
xoxox
nicole
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