Pledge to End Plastic Bottle Use Sweeps IWU Campus
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: October 10, 2012
BLOOMINGTON--Students at Illinois Wesleyan University want people to stop drinking bottled water.
It's a plan they hope makes the world a little cleaner.
The initiative began about a year ago by a group of environmental studies majors.
Students who pledge to "take back the tap" get a stainless steel water bottle instead.
The group says the reusable item prevents plastic from ending up in the landfill.
It also keeps people healthy.
Turns out chemicals in plastic bottles can leech into drinking water.
"Benzene which is a carcinogen, that material goes into making the plastic, and it can leech into your water in significant quantities," explained organizer Joe Daniels. "Over time and it can cause negative effects to your health."
The University's Office of Residential Life funded the project.
It spent $3,000 dollars to purchase the stainless steel bottles.
It's a plan they hope makes the world a little cleaner.
The initiative began about a year ago by a group of environmental studies majors.
Students who pledge to "take back the tap" get a stainless steel water bottle instead.
The group says the reusable item prevents plastic from ending up in the landfill.
It also keeps people healthy.
Turns out chemicals in plastic bottles can leech into drinking water.
"Benzene which is a carcinogen, that material goes into making the plastic, and it can leech into your water in significant quantities," explained organizer Joe Daniels. "Over time and it can cause negative effects to your health."
The University's Office of Residential Life funded the project.
It spent $3,000 dollars to purchase the stainless steel bottles.
