Reasons for a Plastic Bottled Water-Free Campus

To Foster a Concern for Justice and the Competence to Promote It

Corporations that sell single-serve bottled water are changing the very way people think about water. Their misleading marketing campaigns undermine public confidence in public water systems. We now know that bottled water creates social, environmental, and economic problems. At Seattle University, we operate on the Jesuit belief that what you do with knowledge is just as important as acquiring it. Our students are encouraged to test their values, develop a sense of responsibility for themselves and their community, and learn about making ethical choices in their lives. Removing single-use plastic bottled water from campus supports these goals.

To Preserve Water as a Human Right and not a Commodity to be Bought and Sold for Profit

Public water systems worldwide need political support and financial investment to ensure equal access to clean water for all people. The bottled water industry undermines support for public water systems and helps pave the way for corporate control of local water resources. As underfunded municipal water systems deteriorate in quality, people who can afford it shift their consumption to bottled water. Those who cannot are left to rely on public water systems that do not have the political backing necessary to ensure they are supported and well-maintained.

To Help the University Achieve Its Goal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The fossil fuels used to make, distribute, and dispose of water bottles creates pollution and contributes to global warming. Bottled water consumes fossil fuel as it travels hundreds or thousands of miles from the source via trucks, planes, and boats. Nearly 8 out of 10 bottles wind up burnt or tossed into overflowing landfill sites, polluting the air and contributing to water pollution.