MONTREAL - Concordia University has defended its decision to renew an exclusive beverage contract with PepsiCo that includes bottle water products the student union deems unsustainable.
Students staged a sit-in Wednesday as Concordia officials met with representatives from the beverage industry, to protest the exclusivity contract, as well as the sale of bottled water in the school's vending machines and cafeteria.
The Concordia Student Union hoped the university would ban bottled water outright, because of its negative impact on the environment. The latest agreement with PepsiCo allows the university to ban the sale of the product, including Pepsi-owned, Montreal-based Aquafina brand, said Concordia officials, but no plan is in place to do so.
"One of our jobs is to provide services conveniences and options and choices and there are those who still like to buy bottled water and those who don't want to use it don't have to buy it," said Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota.
It's not that simple, said Morgan Pudwell, CSU's vice-president of sustainability.
Students can't often access free drinking water because many of the water fountains are damaged.
"The water fountains are really run down," said Pudwell. "Access to water is a right that every person should have."
The university, which would not disclose what the Pepsi contract is worth, said it plans to upgrade its water fountains and may reconsider the sale of bottled water at a later time.
It also intends to review the sustainability of the Pepsi product.
