Bottled Water Free Day 2012! - Journée sans eau embouteillée 2012!

For Immediate Release

Backing the Tap: Campuses lead the way for Bottled Water Free Day 2012

March 15th 2012

As Canadians prepare to celebrate the 3rd annual Bottled Water Free Day, the movement to back the tap is taking flight with the next generation of tap water drinkers.

Twelve new campuses across Canada have committed to phasing-out the sale and consumption of bottled water since last year’s Bottled Water Free Day, doubling the number of officially pro-tap campuses to 23. These include Concordia University, Sherbrooke University, Carleton University and the University of Toronto.

“Québec CEGEPs and universities are leading this newest charge and we’ve got dozens of new campuses that have taken up the campaign across the country,” says Daniel Cayley-Daoust of the Polaris Institute, a member of the Coalition for Bottled Water Free Communities. “The role of our coalition is to provide information and support for local activists to take up a campaign of their own and the momentum that has been created across Canada in the past three years is really exciting.”

“As pressure mounts on our wallets and our environment, the movement to support strong and reliable public water infrastructure while opposing the privatization of these vital services is growing. Governments, schools, businesses and communities across Canada are increasingly choosing the tap over plastic water bottles,” says Adam Awad, National Deputy Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students.

“Bottled Water Free Day is about galvanizing year-round efforts so that more people ask themselves why bottled water is so prevalent in our society and how we’re affected by this harmful industry,” says Cameron Stiff of the Sierra Youth Coalition. “This day isn’t a one-off celebration after which we return to business as usual. Bottled Water-Free Day is a springboard to change daily habits and to build good, public water systems.”

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For more information, please contact:
Daniel Cayley-Daoust, Polaris Institute – 819-593-4579
Adam Awad, Canadian Federation of Students – 613-979-6622
Cameron Stiff, Sierra Youth Coalition – 514-449-9798

The Members of the Coalition for Bottled Water Free Communities are the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Council of Canadians, the Polaris Institute and the Sierra Youth Coalition.