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Debate over bottled water ban at another uni

A ban on bottled water by the Victorian College of the Arts has been met with criticism from drink companies and praise from environmental groups.

Geoff Parker, the Australasian Bottled Water Institute’s chief executive said the ban would create a ”nanny campus.”

He questioned whether there would be any actual environmental benefits from the ban.

”If they are serious about reducing their environmental footprint, they probably need to ban soft drinks and coffee and just about every other commercial beverage other than bottled water, which has one of the lowest environmental footprints of any beverage,” Parker said.

Greens MLC Colleen Hartland has defended the college over it’s installation of water fountains and ban on bottled water.

"What a typically arrogant reaction from the big drinks companies,” she said.

“They think they have a special entitlement to sell their overpriced, polluting products wherever they want.”

The College, which is part of the University of Melbourne, is not the first tertiary education campus to ban bottled water, with the University of Canberra introducing one earlier this year.

On Thursday students at La Trobe university in Sydney held a protest about the college’s plan to ban the sale of bottled water on campus.

A Parliament Inquiry into Hartland’s Bill for a10c refundable deposit on bottles, cans and cartons will commence on Wednesday.

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