Study Suggests Bottled Water Bans On Campuses Increase Consumption Of Less Healthy Drinks

BURLINGTON, VT -- New research published in the American Journal of Public Health suggests that efforts to ban or restrict the sale of bottled water on college campuses can lead to increased consumption of "less healthy" beverages and more plastic waste.

The study, "The Unintended Consequences of Changes in Beverage Options and the Removal of Bottled Water on a University Campus," concluded that the bottled-water sales ban at the University of Vermont resulted in a 25% increase in the consumption of sugary drinks and an 8.5% increase in the amount of plastic bottles entering the waste stream.

The purpose of the bottled water sales ban was to encourage students to carry reusable water bottles that could be filled with tap water. However, the study found that the increase in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption occurred despite the university's efforts to encourage water-fountain use. Those efforts included retrofitting 68 water fountains to fill the reusable water bottles that were handed out for free at campus events, along with an educational campaign to promote the program.