USG considers ban on disposable water bottles

USG distributed reusable water bottles at a town hall in November.

Should UIC prohibit the sale of disposable water bottles on campus?

The Undergraduate Student Government is examining student response to that question after proposing the ban.

USG conducted a survey on the issue in October but a technical glitch only allowed the group to analyze the first 100 responses. A second survey is planned this semester.

The ban is still far from taking effect, said USG assembly member Vanessa Castor.

“We’re still getting the word out on what students think,” Castor said. “We want to make sure it’s what students want and not what we want.”

The proposal would eliminate the sale of disposable water bottles on campus, but would allow students using disposable water bottles to continue to do so, Castor said.

Partially modeled on Loyola University’s ban on plastic water bottles, USG wants to cut down on waste and make UIC more sustainable. While this may be the most obvious benefit of the proposed ban, USG also believes there is a question of human rights at the heart of the proposal. In the proposal, USG has stated its belief in the human right of free water and suggests these rights are infringed upon through the sale of bottled water.

If USG finds enough student support for the plan, students will vote on the proposal in a referendum this spring.

moconn31@uic.edu

• Matt O’Connor is a junior in English and UIC News intern.