Single-Use Plastic Water Bottle Ban | Oberlin College and Conservatory

Oberlin College and Conservatory is reinstating the ban on the sale of single-use plastic water bottles starting August 2024. The college is also working to eliminate other single-use plastics on campus more broadly in the coming years as part of the commitment to zero waste.

Review or download the policy

Find the nearest filtered water bottle filler with this map.

The College previously banned single-use plastic water bottles as part of a resolution of the Student Senate in the late 1990s. Single-use plastic water bottles remained mostly off campus until 2020 with the onset of the pandemic.

In fall 2023, the Office of Energy and Sustainability (OES), in partnership with AVI the campus dining service provider, began working with students in Psychology 308 Advanced Methods, taught by Dr. Cindy Frantz, to better understand why and where single-use plastic water bottles were being used on campus with the hope of reducing their use. The Advanced Methods class conducted a student survey to determine barriers and opportunities. The results of the survey indicated that most students choose single-use plastic water bottles on campus for convenience and the perceived increase in water quality/safety. As a result of these findings, during the 2024 spring semester, the Advanced Methods students and OES staff, in collaboration with Facilities Operations, AVI, and OES interns, worked on increasing the number of filtered water bottles fillers on campus as well as created outreach directed at students on the benefits of reusable water bottles. The final report from the class can be found here.

Single-use plastic water bottles do not support the college’s Climate Commitment, or Oberlin’s leadership around sustainability. Single-use plastic water bottle bans are a fairly mainstream practice across sectors, including in higher education, in the U.S. and around the world, and part of expectations of prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff, and others.

With more than 50 water filling stations around campus, Oberlin College and Conservatory provides a reliable network of filtered water options. Please visit this map to find the nearest filler to you. Filters used in water filling systems are tested and certified to meet National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 42 and 53 standards for lead, class 1 particulate, chlorine, and taste and odor reduction. Read more about the products on campus here.

If you would like to request a new water filler in a building on campus, please email the Office of Energy and Sustainability at [email protected]

Most bottled water originates from municipal water sources and may have gone through additional treatments. Aquafina, the brand of bottled water previously on campus, is bottled from “public water sources” meaning it is from (filtered) municipal tap water sources. Bottled water is subject to less stringent disclosure of consumer information by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so that the exact water sources as well as annual water quality reports are not required to be reported.

Public municipal water sources, however, are required by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency to disclose such information to the public. Information regarding the City of Oberlin’s water supply and treatment process, including the 2023 water quality report can be located on the City of Oberlin website. For more information regarding the treatment of bottled water, visit the EPA’s Fact Sheet.

Single-use plastic water bottles, made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), have a life cycle beyond being consumed and discarded. Rather than biodegrading, plastics break down into microplastics that have been shown to enter bodies of water, animals’ bodies, and the ground. The Ellen McArthur Foundation estimates that at current rates of plastic use, there may be more plastic (by weight) in the ocean than fish by 2050. These containers also have a carbon impact associated with their derivation from petrochemicals (fossil fuels), production, and transportation.

While empty plastic bottles can be recycled on campus, users should not rely on recycling systems if they wish to reduce environmental harms. Plastics are consistently recycled at much lower rates compared to paper and metals. This is due to the nature of the material; even the higher-quality plastics can usually only be recycled one or two times before the molecules break down.

Reusable water bottles can be purchased at various local stores including downtown at the College Bookstore and Ben Franklin. Free water bottles can be picked up at the Free Store in the basement of Asia House.

For students that may need financial assistance to purchase a reusable water bottle, please contact the Office of Energy and Sustainability at [email protected]

If you choose to use a Brita water pitcher, used filters can be dropped off for recycling in the special recycling area in the lobby of Wilder. Learn more about special item recycling services on campus.