Plastic Bottle Ban at the University of Canberra

Image: One Mother Earth

Image: World Nomads

The University of Canberra has become the first university in Australia to ban the selling of plastic bottled water. The initiative was organised by students and assisted by the action group, Do Something! 


Instead, new water drinking taps and bottle refill stations will be installed on the campus, with funding assistance from the ACT Government. Staff and students will also be able to refill their own personal bottles with chilled water, provided by WaterVend.


WaterVend, which is new to Australia, are machines that dispense filtered chilled still, sparkling or flavoured tap water into the user's own bottle. Not only will this save the possibility of discarded plastic bottles from ending up in landfill, it also provides food outlets on campus with a commercial offset to the loss of income from bottled water.


It is approximated that 14,000 bottles of water is currently consumed on campus every year.