Abstract
This paper examines the beliefs and environmental attitudes of university individuals towards bottled and tap water use and examines tap and bottled water availability and sales volumes at the University of the Basque Country. The research employed a mixed methods approach including (i) an exploratory survey to document environmental beliefs and behaviors towards bottled and tap water; (ii) written questionnaires addressed to faculty administrators to inquire about accessibility to tap water and, (iii) personal interviews with restaurant managers to inquire about sales volumes of bottled water. Respondents to our survey predominately drink tap water and no health or taste issues associated with its consumption are perceived among respondents reporting to drink two or fewer bottles per week. These results imply that in our context, there are positive perceptions towards tap water and pro-environmental behavior regarding water consumption. However, respondents also claimed to use reused plastic water bottles as the most common tap water container. Moreover, there was widespread presence of bottled water sales at university premises, confirming the ubiquity of this commodity worldwide. Collectively, both survey and sales volume analyses suggest that a greater shift in sustainable behavior is needed in our community. Regarding measures and policies to promote tap water accessibility, considerable differences were found within and between campuses. These findings should help to inform university managers and support sustainability goals where bottled water consumption could be minimized or even eliminated.
Highlights
An increasing number of universities worldwide are adopting sustainability approaches to manage their facilities and holistic approaches that explicitly link research, educational, operational, and outreach activities [1,2], because the environmental issues that must be tackled in public institutions are complex and multifaceted [3]
Our research aims to: 1. Examine through an exploratory survey the university community’s environmental perception towards bottled and tap water based on Saylor et al.’s [22] questionnaire
The exploratory survey results show that respondents predominately drink tap water and health risks or taste issues associated with its consumption are not perceived, and that these perceptions are mostly among those that buy few bottles per week
Summary
An increasing number of universities worldwide are adopting sustainability approaches to manage their facilities and holistic approaches that explicitly link research, educational, operational, and outreach activities [1,2], because the environmental issues that must be tackled in public institutions are complex and multifaceted [3]. Despite being one of the most straightforward practices along with reducing fossil fuel emissions and waste management, consumption of bottled water continues to be a pressing issue in this and other Spanish universities. In this sense, single-use plastic bottled water is available in most facilities at UPV/EHU, and it is an example of how available this commodity is in our society. After a 20% decrease during the last financial crisis, the Spanish consumption per capita in 2016 went up to 121 L, making Spain the 6th largest consumer in the European ranking and among the seven countries whose consumption is above the EU average [7]
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