UPEI launches Back to Tap initiative
In a message to the campus community, Vice-President Administration and Finance Jackie Podger announced the University of Prince Edward Island’s latest sustainability initiative—“Back to Tap”. Read the message
Vice-President Podger wrote, “As a University we are always open to suggestions to reduce our carbon footprint. It is my pleasure to introduce our newest initiative—“Back to Tap”—intended to support a greener campus.”
UPEI has demonstrated its commitment to fiscal, environmental, and cultural sustainability over the years. Environmental sustainability initiatives have been weaved into UPEI’s teaching and research platforms. From the creation of the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, to the launch of the Bachelor of Science in Applied Climate Change and Adaptation, UPEI continues to put sustainability at the forefront of its plans.
UPEI’s newest initiative is “Back to Tap”, which promotes the use of reusable water bottles and containers, and filling them at water fountains or fill stations.
Aside from the money being spent when clean drinking water of comparable quality is available from the tap, there are also many environmental issues associated with bottled water cooler dispensers, such as emissions and energy consumption associated with extraction, transportation, distribution, and storage—all of which have a significant impact on the University’s carbon footprint.
“Our goal, through education and behaviour change, is to eliminate the use of bottled water cooler dispensers on campus and reduce the associated costs, energy use, and greenhouse-gas emissions,” added Vice-President Podger.
Effective December 31, 2018, all bottled water cooler dispensers on campus will be removed. Instead the campus community will be encouraged to use reusable water bottles and containers at one of the 59 water fountains/fill stations currently located on campus. These are available on most floors of the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre; Cass Science Hall; Central Utility Building; Dalton Hall; Don and Marion McDougall Hall; Duffy Science Centre; Health Sciences Building; K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre; Kelley Memorial Building; Memorial Hall; Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre; Robertson Library; Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building; SDU Main Building; Steel Building; W.A. Murphy Student Centre; Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall; Atlantic Veterinary College and the Clubhouse adjacent to the artificial turf sports field.
