Bottled water has been identified by sustainability leaders as a significant source of single-use plastic waste on the Urbana-Champaign campus. Dining convenience stores and athletic facilities have been identified as primary locations for single-use bottle sales.

In an effort to inform the campus community about the harm associated with single use plastic waste, and the safety of the community’s tap water, a comprehensive plastic waste education campaign is being pursued. Reducing single-use plastic and the purchase of single-use water bottles are the primary objective of this campaign, but there are other ancillary objectives/benefits to addressing waste holistically in this campaign, such as improving awareness regarding recycling. If a single-use bottle is purchased, the aim is to ensure that it is, at a minimum, recycled.

Education and awareness have been identified as key approaches. The university sources its drinking water from the Mahomet Aquifer, and building trust around this source of water is key. Additionally, a campus-wide inventory of water bottle filling stations was completed in 2023. Providing the campus community with information about where to access the filler stations is also high priority.