As part of 35 new sustainability initiatives, NYU recently announced that by 2020, the University will end spending on single-use plastic water bottles. Read on to learn more.

What does the new single-use bottle initiative entail?

As of January 1, 2020, this initiative will end University spending on single-use water in disposable packaging (approx. 330,000 annually) and 5-gallon jugs on campus. It does not apply to beverages other than still water, or to water that individuals purchase on campus or from surrounding businesses. We have resources for members of our community on alternatives: NYU Procurement will be assisting offices in the purchase and installation of in-line filter-coolers, and campus catering will make water dispensers the norm for events, at no extra charge.

Will reusable water bottles be provided to everyone at the University?

At this time, there is no University-wide program to provide a reusable bottle to every member of our community. However, many units on campus (including the Office of Sustainability) offer free water bottles at orientation, events, and programs. Additionally, we encourage any office or unit that has the resources to purchase bottles or glasses for their employees or office pantries to do so, or encourage employees to bring their own. Otherwise, we have suggestions for recyclable paper and plastic cups, if there is absolutely no alternative. It takes 2,000 times as much energy to deliver water in plastic bottles then from the tap, so even if a plastic cup is used with tap water, it’s still a huge carbon reduction.

How will you measure the impact of this initiative?

We plan to continue to collect and analyze data as part of this initiative. Our Waste Management team will be conducting waste audits regularly and at the end of 2020, we will have updated figures on how many water bottles were purchased in the year.  

Does this initiative apply to NYU’s global network?

No. At this time, the initiative is only binding for the New York City campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

What’s next?

This is an immediate step we are taking to reduce a large source of waste on our campus. In the long-term, we hope to develop a Zero Waste Plan for NYU.

Want more resources?

• Explore our Water Tips for Your Office Pantry infographic for guidance on implementation.
• Contact Procurement (askfinancelink@nyu.edu) for information about how to purchase and install an in-line filter-cooler for your office.