Reusable Water Bottles - [email protected]/environ171_01_s2012/files/2012/05/Final... · •...

Reusable Water BottlesCurbing non-reusable plastic water bottle use on Duke University’s campus

ENV 171 - Dunning

J Salzman • J Crabtree • B White •W Gurzynski • C Kachadoorian

Monday, April 16, 12

Our Clients

• Duke Office of Sustainability• Duke Carbon Offset Initiative (DCOI): 2024 carbon neutrality on campus

through reducing on campus carbon use and producing offsets• Water Bottles: part of reducing carbon production, affecting

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions• Contacts:

• Tavey Capps | Environmental Sustainability Director• [email protected]

• Arwen Buchholz | Program Coordinator - Recycling and Waste• [email protected]

• Casey Roe | Outreach Coordinator• [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]






Project Overview

•Analyze bottled water use at Duke•Study feasibility of alternative plastics•Evaluate hydration station models•Forge partnerships with campus organizations• Increase viability of reusable bottles•Secure funding for installation•Create groundwork for more sustainable

developments in the future


Project Timeline

Team A - Hydration Station(supply alternative)

Team B - Bottle Water(demand-side)

Wk 1-3: explore and evaluate hydration station models

Wk 1-3: research plastic bottle varieties + waste implications

Wk 4-5: develop feasibility of hydration stations on East Campus

Wk 4-5: analyzed water bottle use on Duke campus with survey

Wk 6-7: secure on-campus support and maintenance infrastructure for hydration station implementation

Wk 6-7: secure on-campus support and maintenance infrastructure for hydration station implementation

Wk 8: finalize financial backing for hydration station and long-term goal; presentation of final deliverables to clients

Wk 8: finalize financial backing for hydration station and long-term goal; presentation of final deliverables to clients


Original Logic Model


Non-Reusable Water Bottles

• 60 million bottles are discarded daily • in the UK, half billion bottles are shipped in

for use annually• could be filled 1/4 with oil to show footprint• 1 in 6 bottles make it to recycling• 51 billion bottles in the US alone• 17 million barrels of oil• enough oil to run 1 million cars for a year• 1 in 6 bottles are recycles - the rest end in

landfill• $22 billion industry in the Unites States

annually


Parallel Campus Initiatives

• Vassar College: campus-wide plastic water bottles ban

• Harvard University | School of Public Health: bans sale of bottles, reduces plastic bottles in waste stream by 1000 units/wk

• U. of California at Berkley: campus student store bans bottles water sale

• College of St. Benedict, St. Paul, MN: 31 hydration stations developed campus wide attracts media attention by USA Today


Parallel Projects at Duke

Marine Lab at Beaufort: eliminates al single-use plastic beverage bottles in all of its campus on the NC coast

This project includes Dining Operations, Catering, and all vending services on the Piver’s Island Campus

Hopes of bringing same goals to Duke’s Durham Campus


Plant-Based Bottles

Can be derived from multiple origin plants

Lauded as an ‘eco-friendly’ alternative to PET (standard plastic)

Cannot be recycled by Duke’s contacted waste management recycler: Sonoco Recycling

Major brands: PepsiCo and Coca Cola have competing branded bottles of plant-based of biodegradable plastic bottles designed for landfill disposal


PlantBottle by Coca Cola


Alternatives to PET Plastic (Team B)

• Analyzed various bio-plastics as an alternative to PET in single-use water bottles

• Utilized a Life Cycle Analysis method of research

• CHALLENGES:

• Incongruence with Duke Climate Action Plan

• Waste processor backlash

• Unfeasibility of implementation


Recycling Bottles at Duke

• Sonoco: only accepts PET-based bottles for recycling at facilities

• Can recycle plastics #1 through #7 - all are PET-based

• Several on-campus vendors sell plant-based or ‘green’ bottles, which are visually indistinguishable from PET relatives

• Students appear to use recycling receptacles only if they are conveniently located


Duke Community Input

• Online survey targeting graduate/undergraduate population of Duke

• n=78 (55 men, 23 women)

• Duke students:

• Support increasing use of reusable water containers

• Demonstrate substantial opportunities for improvement

• Dislike inconvenience of filling, which prevents students from carrying reusable bottles

27%

73%

Students who USE a reusable bottle

54%46%

Students who USE a reusable bottle

Yes No

22%

12%

34%

31%

% of plastic water bottles recycled (STUDENTS)

0-25% 26%-50% 51%-75% 76%-100%


Data Analysis

• Most students (+80%) responded that the reason they don’t carry a bottle:

• inconvenience of carrying a reusable bottle

• inconvenience of refilling a bottle

Number of ResponsesNumber of Responses Who own a reusable bottleWho own a reusable bottleWho use a reusable bottle on a regular basisWho use a reusable bottle on a regular basisPercentage of bottles they recyclePercentage of bottles they recyclePercentage of bottles they recyclePercentage of bottles they recycle

Totals Yes No Yes No 0-25% 26%-50% 51%-75% 76%-100%

Men 55 35 20 20 35 21 17 4 11

Yes No Yes No 0-25% 26%-50% 51%-75% 76%-100%

Women 23 22 1 16 7 0 5 4 4

Yes No Yes No 0-25% 26%-50% 51%-75% 76%-100%

Total 78 57 21 36 42 21 23 8 15


Gender Disparity

36%

64%

Men who OWN a reusable bottle

64%

36%

Men who USE a reusable bottle

Yes No

21%

8%

32%

40%

% of plastic water bottles recycled (MEN)

4%

96%

Women who OWN a reusable bottle

30%

70%

Women who USE a reusable bottle

31%

31%

38%

% of plastic water bottles recycled (WOMEN)

0-25% 26%-50% 51%-75% 76%-100%


Moving Forward: Campus Partnerships

• Duke Sustainability Office• Duke Facilities Management

• Randy Orange• DSG Student Environment and Sustainability

Committee• George Carotenuto• Kerri Devine

• East Campus Council (ECC)• LB Bergene

• Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions


East Campus Model

• First iteration of proof-of-concept: Hydration Station Implementation

• One hydration station in each East Campus dorm (in addition to Marketplace, Brodie Gym, and Carr Building locations)

• Would foster a more sustainable-thinking class, from first semester at Duke

• East Campus Council supports project


Orientation Water Bottles

• Currently, reusable water bottles are distributed to Duke First-Years during Orientation programming

• Bottle’s size raises several concerns about purpose and usefulness

• GOAL: to work with the Nicholas Institute and Student Wellness Center to use Nicholas Institute funding to provide larger water bottles with better highlighted purpose

• Currently, Duke Student Wellness supports the small size bottle


Hydration Stations on West

• Project refocused for long-term inclusion in new building design

• Randy Orange: no control over East renovations; it became apparent that the East Campus Model would not work for current campus design


Challenges

• Jim Wilkerson, Director of Trademark Licensing

• Duke University Stores

• Joe Clark, Residence Hall Operations

• East Campus Installation plan

• Funding

• “Green Grants” already used

• DSG reelection


Where we stand:

• Administrative Suddport:• East Campus Council• Facilities Management Team

• DSG Funding• Confident about units to be built on West Campus• Appropriations for next year necessary

• West Campus Installation• Identifying high traffic areas• Budget reviews in July 2012, facilities hopeful for hydration station

inclusion


Moving Forward

1.Install stations in Wilson Gym and Bryan Center

2.Coordinate with Nicholas Institute and Student Wellness to redesign bottles for First-Year Orientation

3.Appropriate funding for more units next year, especially alongside the July 2012 budget review

4.DSG Legislation for New Building, maintain relationship with SESC

5.Cultivate first-year students’ ‘social responsibility’ ethos


Feedback

Questions & Answers


Reusable Water Bottles - [email protected]/environ171_01_s2012/files/2012/05/Final... · •...

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