In 2011, the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) banned the sale of bottled water in CUSA businesses to take a strong stance on sustainability.
At CUSA council this week, vice-president (finance) Craig Handy introduced a motion to repeal this ban, so Henry’s can start selling bottled water, ostensibly to add revenue. While the motion has been tabled, this is a step backwards for CUSA’s sustainability efforts on campus. If the motion passes, it would erase the positive work of a previous CUSA council.
The justification is money. CUSA believes students who come to Henry’s looking for bottled water will buy it elsewhere. While it’s unclear how large the loss in profit is, CUSA argues student money should be going back to them, and so if students want to buy water they should be able to at a CUSA business.
But just because it makes money, that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. Plastic water bottles are a huge drain on the environment; that’s why the ban was introduced in the first place.
If CUSA really needs revenue, they could sell inexpensive reusable bottles at Henry’s, and install a fountain inside the store. Why buy a disposable bottle when you can purchase a reusable one for the same price? This would be a positive step for sustainability on campus, while still providing revenue to CUSA.
