Student council will put the question of whether or not to ban bottled water on campus to a referendum vote during the upcoming spring general elections.
The SRC unanimously passed a motion on the matter at its weekly meeting last week.
Vice-president administration Mary-Dan Johnston raised the issue.
“It’s one way to make St. Thomas a more sustainable campus and follow through on our environmental commitment,” said Johnston.
The referendum question will read: “Considering the environmental and social impacts of bottled water, do you support the students’ union advocating that the university phase out the sale of bottled water on campus?”
Twenty per cent of the student body must vote on the matter for the decision to be deemed valid.
“In order for this to move forward with the administration of the university, the coalition (for a bottled water free campus) feels the only way to go about it is democratically and to have a referendum and have a student voice behind it,” said Johnston
Three universities in Canada – Memorial, Brandon and Winnipeg – have campus bottled-water bans.
