Students’ Union taps greener water source

The Students’ Union shop is no longer stocking bottled water on its shelves. Instead, staff and students will be offered free water facilities throughout the Students’ Union building.

The move is designed to help push forward the Union’s green agenda, by cutting down the amount of waste from throw away bottles, and ease the strain on students’ pockets by providing free water.

Environmental group People and Planet initiated the free water campaign. It works closely with the Students’ Union to ensure all students lead a greener lifestyle.

Luke Gibson, a member of the People and Planet group said: “Multinational companies make a profit out of water, a resource that should be free. I’m really pleased that our Students’ Union has become the second Students’ Union in the country to replace bottled water with re-usable bottles.”

The Students’ Union is holding a Water Day to promote the change and prove to staff and students that free water is the right choice. The Water Day will involve a taste the difference test to see if people can tell which is tap and which is bottled water. There will be a water explorer which will provide a unique opportunity to discover where the Students’ Union water comes from and videos that will allow people to see the exact source of the Students’ Union’s water.

In addition to Water Day the Union will be encouraging sports teams, who are some of the main users of re-usable bottles, to carry their water bottle outside of their training and into the Students’ Union.