Starting September, Imperial Vending Services Inc. will be removing bottled water from their machines at York.
As part of its public commitment to phase out the sale of bottled water on campus, York’s contract with Imperial Vending includes a provision for the vendor to comply with the university’s commitment.
Anthony Barbisan, director of YU-card, and Food and Parking Services, says the university had its eye on phasing out bottled water and structured the contract accordingly.
“The phase-out of the sale of bottled water was contemplated at the time that the Request for Proposals for vending services was issued and our contract with Imperial Vending includes that provision,” said Barbisan.
York’s contract with Imperial Vending comes after a previous contract with PepsiCo Beverages Canada expired in 2011. The new contract runs to June 2017.
Imperial Vending could not be reached for a comment. How retail establishments in York Lanes will react to York’s initiative has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, York’s orientation event held on September 8 raised additional questions as to York’s commitment to sustainability as frosh bosses handed out bottled water to students.
Joanne Rider, York media relations, says the university had the water on hand as emergency provisions.
Students who attended yesterday’s orientation session were “strongly encouraged” beforehand to bring their own refillable water containers to the venue, according to York.
Moreover, water was made available to them to refill their containers. But then, as the temperature increased, bottled water that had been brought as emergency provisions, was provided to students who did not bring water and were affected by the heat.
This was cited as a health and safety issue, allegedly consistent with the Sale and Distribution of Single-Use Bottled Water Policy.
Other criticisms of bottled water bans have included claims of increases in consumption of high-calorie drinks. A researcher at the University of Vermont in the United States found that students turned to other bottled drinks once bottled water was banned.
York’s commitment is part of a wider trend against bottled water.
Previously, the University of Winnipeg became the first university to ban plastic water bottles on campus. Closer to home, Wilfrid Laurier University followed their lead in 2011, finalizing their program earlier this year. UofT also followed in 2011.
Andrew Plunkett, sustainability coordinator, says individual institutions approach bottled water differently.
“I don’t believe that there is much, if any, quantitative research on this that covers multiple institutions.”
“We do know of at least one institution that experienced a decrease in all bottled beverage sales when they discontinued the sale of bottled water, presumably because more students were drinking tap water,” he adds.
The York Federation of Students has yet to respond to Excalibur regarding these concerns.
Alex Kvaskov, Assistant News Editor
Featured image courtesy of Michael Zusev, Photo Editor
