Across the country, a movement called “Take Back the Tap” has started promoting tap water over bottled water. Colleges are coming together with Food & Water Watch by passing full or partial bans. Over 70 colleges have passed these bans, and a hundred others have begun implementing “fill-stations” to promote tap water (“Take Back the Tap” 2018).

According to Food & Water Watch, a “full ban” indicates that sale of water bottles is banned at all campus locations including “dining facilities and vending machines.” A “partial ban” is indicated by sales that are prohibited in some locations or the student government is banned from using school funds for bottled water for certain events, but there is not a campus-wide ban (“Take Back the Tap” 2018).

The Take Back the Tap movement even extends to some businesses as well. One example of this is Lush, which launched a campaign to raise the awareness about the impacts of water bottles in 2013. Lush sold reusable water bottles during this campaign and added fill station at every Lush location where you can refill these bottles (Lushusa.com, 2018). All over the world people are beginning to eliminate plastic waste.

Bottled water companies have made their profit through marketing that their water is fresher and purer than dirty tap water, but according to Food & Water Watch, “the U.S. federal government requires more rigorous safety monitoring of municipal tap water than it does of bottled water” (“Take Back the Tap: Bottled Water Wastes Resources and Money” 2018). In addition, the waste produced from water bottles each year could power 190,000 homes, and in making enough water bottles to meet America’s demands, 1.7 million barrels are used -not including transportation- “which is enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year” (“Bottled Water Facts” 2018).

By switching to tap water and reusable bottles, you can make an impact on the country and on the planet. Take part in Take Back the Tap to make use of the resources already available to you, and make a difference.