FGCU’s water bottle refill stations reduce plastic waste

By Toni Gualandri

Three hundred million tons of plastic is produced every year, and half of it is from single use products like packaging, according to Plastic Oceans. Water bottles are also a large contributing source of single use plastic waste. 

Reusable water bottles are more efficient and more environmentally friendly than plastic bottles. FGCU uses the Elkay EZH2O water bottle refill station campus wide. 

In 2009, Florida Gulf Coast University adopted the “Eagles Heart Tap Water” campaign in order to promote bringing reusable water bottles to campus to reduce plastic water bottle waste. Many universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley and the University of Vermont have adopted similar campaigns.

The campaign was jumpstarted by student involvement, Vikki McConnell, assistant director of Business and Finance Operations at the FGCU Physical Plant, said.

“Students were interested in ways to promote reusable bottles,” McConnell said. “They researched how other schools promoted use of the tap water, which we all pay loads of tax dollars to make sure it is safe to drink.”

In 2011, Vertical spigots were installed on the existing water fountains campus wide, except for the ones in Lutgert Hall and Seidler Hall, which could not be retrofitted with spigots, according to FGCU’s Physical Plant’s Environmental Initiatives.

Since 2011, Florida Gulf Coast has replaced the majority of its water fountains with Elkay EZH2O water bottle refill stations. Each unit retails for $1,712 and requires little maintenance McConnell said. 

“We do not pay a contractor to service the units,” McConnell said, “we use our salaried labor to periodically change the filters and perform preventative maintenance, which is not very costly on an annual basis.”

The refill stations use a sensor to fill the bottles with safe, refrigerated tap water. The model Florida Gulf Coast uses, has a total bottle saves counter that tracks how many 20-ounce water bottles have been saved by using the station. Users can see the difference they are making as they fill up their bottles.  

Rudy Kronauge, a Florida Gulf Coast alumnus, appreciated having the EZH2O water bottle refill stations on campus not only for easy water refills, but also because he was able to cut down on using plastic bottles.

“As a marine studies major focusing on conservation when I was a student, having the refill stations all over campus made the need to buy water from the vending machines obsolete,” Kronauge said. “Every time I would fill up my bottle the counter would just keep going up, and I felt like I was doing something to benefit the world even if it was just filling up a reusable water bottle.”

Locations of Florida Gulf Coast’s water bottle refill stations include the Campus Recreation Center, the Campus Support Complex, Housing Commons, and many academic buildings. Florida Gulf Coast has purchased more refill stations. 

Installing them in campus lobbies is a priority, McConnell said. “Especially in the Welcome Center to make a sustainable first impression during campus tours.”  

In 2012, Florida Gulf Coast received a Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature, which recognizes innovation and leadership at colleges and universities.