To be eco-friendly is the light, colloquial way to refer to be environmentally responsible. To be eco-friendly is, also, wanting to keep up the hopes of survival in a world that somehow has been suffering already for too long humans’ extreme anthropocentric consumption habits. And, thus, in the small scale, to be eco-friendly has to do with petit initiatives, like the one a group of students of the Environmental Sciences and Policy Department has started: to change the consumption habits in campus of bottled water. Or, plainly, ‘bye, plastic; hi, tap water’.
LIQUID FIGURES
For data is usually in command, in Hungary bottled water consumption has raised from 30 liters per person in 1999 to 111 liters per capita in 2010, according to www.worldwater.org. And, in CEU, the trend replicates. Recent on campus research tell us that the average weekly consumption of still and sparkling 0.5 liter bottled water at CEU cafeterias varies from 78 liters to 180 liters. Not only that: an estimated total of 4,830 water bottles are consumed monthly in CEU only for conferences, seminars, workshops et al. In other words, we have become unnecessarily plasticized.
Yes, unnecessarily. In Hungary, tap water is not only tasty, but safe, too. And by ‘safe’, we also mean ‘safer’ than bottled water. Health issues arise for plastic bottles due to usual existence of chemical contaminants in the bottles. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, some of these chemicals, like phthalates, can leach from the plastic into the water and end up causing health problems. Worst case scenario: carcinogenic risks.
But, no need to get extreme to understand other concerns from this students’ initiative, which will be shown in the upcoming Waste Fest 2013, to be held in Nador 9 building between March the 19th and the 21st. Straight to the pockets: while 0.5 liters of bottled water cost an average of 200 forints, 1,000 liters of tap water cost 230 forints. Feeling swindled already?
PROPOSAL FLOW
Thus, the anti-bottled water campaign will be aiming to raise awareness with events, information, documentaries, games and practical data during the three days that the Waste Fest 2013 will last, ending a day prior to the World Water Day, on March the 22nd. But they don’t want to stop there. Their initiative contemplates a formal proposal to CEU authorities for them to consider the inclusion of better, more practical and more abundant water fountains on campus for the redevelopment of the University, which starts next year. And, yes, the proposal also includes the banning of sale of bottled water in campus —not to be confused with the consumption itself of bottled water, for freedom of choice is sacred. If it is achieved, the latter would make CEU the first University in Europe to prohibit bottled water sales, showing a degree of environmental responsibility.
So, agree or disagree? Not convinced? Take a walk around the Waste Fest 2013, then, and make your choice.
Thor Morante
MESPOM, Peru
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