Sign this petition to let Bentley know that you are in support of a ban on the sale of plastic water bottles on campus (does not include Gatorade or other bottled beverages other than water). 

Disposable plastic water bottles are not only harmful to the environment, but to your health and your wallet as well. Bentley has installed water filling stations throughout campus where we students can fill reusable water bottles for free. This poses the question, why should Bentley even sell plastic water bottles at all?

The problem is that a handful of students are not aware about the harmful affects that plastic has on the environment. Studies have shown that only 38.6% of plastic water bottles are recycled in the US. With such a low waste diversion rate, it only makes sense to get rid of water bottles completely instead of fighting the uphill battle of getting people to recycle when they really couldn't care less about the environment. The United States uses 17 million barrels of oil per year in the water bottle industry, which causes terrible effects on our environment, including increased carbon emissions and the threat of oil spills.  Reducing the impact of the water bottle industry would reduce the need for harmful energy solutions such as oil and help the United States on the path towards sustainable energy.

24% of the water bottle market is held by Dasani and Aquafina, which are both just re-bottled tap water. The only difference is that Dasani and Aquafina are almost 1000 times more expensive than a tap water alternative. This is very relevant to Bentley's campus because Aquafina is the brand of water that is sold in all of Bentley's vending machines and cafes. Think about how much discretionary money you can save by bringing your own reusable bottle to campus rather than buying the re-bottled tap water that is sold here. It's about time that Bentley students start acting like the business students that we are. 

Thank you for your help in advancing the sustainability of Bentley University's campus. We can all make a difference.