That’s one reason we’ve launched the student-inspired “One Earth. One Bottle” campaign.
The campaign, one of several measures the university has taken to promote sustainable environmental practices on campus, is an effort to get students, faculty and staff to drink tap water instead of bottled water. Doing so will save energy and cut down on waste.
The university has purchased 2,000 stainless steel SNHU water bottles, which will be given free to students, faculty and staff members who are willing to sign a pledge not to purchase and use bottled water. The blue bottles, selected by students, carry the SNHU logo and the words “One Earth. One Bottle.”
Bottles will be available at various locations and events on campus during the first week of classes and afterward through the Center for Service and Community Involvement, located in Stark Hall. (Only one bottle per person; an SNHU ID is required.) Online and on location students, faculty members and staff people with a current SNHU ID number are eligible to get a bottle as well; please email serve@snhu.edu for more information.
Small changes can make a big difference. Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles in 2006. With a U.S. recycling rate of only 23 percent, about 38 million bottles were thrown away. It takes about 24 million gallons of oil to produce just one billion water bottles. Small steps can lead to big change. Pledging to drink tap water instead of bottled water can help cut down on waste.
Much of the world lacks access to clean water. Water should not be commoditized. Manchester has excellent water and the university has water fountains and sinks in every building, making it easy to refill.
Look for these signs at refill stations around campus:
