Author: Aly Wood

Eighty percent of water bottles end up in landfills or incinerators. Studies show the estimated decomposition time of a plastic bottle is around 500 years in a landfill. According to the Story of Stuff, the United States alone consumed over 39 billion single serve water bottles in 2008. With this waste accumulating, it is essential for action to be taken.

As awareness of sustainability increases, and the hazards of waste become more widespread, many universities have been taking an initiative to help reduce the amount of plastic bottles that enter the landfill each year. Schools are doing so by installing water stations, or hydration stations throughout their campuses. According to Brita, a hydration station is a station that conveniently fills bottles with filtered water without the cost and waste of bottled water. These stations are directly connected to the water source and provide free filtered water, with a bottle friendly design.

These efforts can also be seen within our community. Arizona State University is among the schools across the country that has taken part in this movement. When walking through campus, thirsty students and guests will now be able to refill their reusable bottles much easier with these hydration stations. These stations are visible around the campus with an extra faucet on drinking fountains and are located within learning centers and dormitories, making it easier to refill a bottle. ASU takes this idea one step further by providing new incoming students with a free welcome week reusable water bottle that they can use with these stations. Students are now able to display their school spirit while hydrating simultaneously.

Hydration stations can also be implemented on a smaller scale, within workplaces as an alternative to the traditional five-gallon water dispensers, which create waste. If more universities and office buildings incorporate these hydration stations within their corporations, they can help to drastically eliminate the amount of waste generated annually.

“It starts with you...and ends in change”