Yukon College’s Ayamdigut campus ends the sale of bottled water

WHITEHORSE-Bottled water will no longer be sold at Yukon College’s main Ayamdigut campus in Whitehorse when classes begin next week. Instead the College has installed two enhanced water stations and will give out free College-branded reusable water bottles to new and returning students.

“Too often when we think of the green principles of reduce, reuse, recycle, we focus on recycling and overlook the more important idea of reducing our waste overall,” said Colleen Wirth, Director of Student and Infrastructure Support. “As part of our on-going efforts to become a sustainability leader in our community, Yukon College can no longer contribute to the significant waste created by the sale of bottled water.”

The enhanced water stations produce filtered water, are touch-less by design and allow water bottles to be held vertically while being filled, include a standard water fountain for thirsty people without a water bottle, and make use of existing plumbing at the campus.

Both stations also feature an electronic “green ticker” which counts how many disposable water bottles have been saved from the landfill. Since installation last month, use of the new water stations has prevented the equivalent of over 800 commercial plastic water bottles from ending up as waste. Including the enhanced water stations there are five water stations located throughout Ayamdigut campus.

The campus does not track total bottled water sales from vending machines, the cafeteria and bookstore, however, the bookstore alone sold 200-250 half litre bottles of water each month between September 2014 and April 2015.

This initiative was proposed by the College sustainability committee, a group of staff and students whose suggestions have also led to increased separation of waste and compost, greater use of compostable food and beverage containers, and adoption of the “bring it in, pack it out” principle where staff and students take ownership of any garbage they generate.

This summer the College also replaced paper towels with electric hand driers in Ayamdigut campus’s busiest washroom. A sustainability committee initiative aimed at reducing on the amount of paper waste generated by those attending the College.

"Yukon College Student Union was consulted early on about the decision to end bottled water sales on campus and we are in full support," said Lewis Falkiner MacKay, President of the Yukon College Student Union. "These initiatives are great examples of the campus community coming together and making sustainable choices."