Following a decision by the student body which voted to prohibit the sale of bottled water inside the campus, the University of Winnipeg made official the ban Monday. The prohibition, which will be implemented in phases, will make the campus the first university in Canada to take such a drastic pro-environment policy.

Last week the University of Winnipeg Students' Association held a referendum simultaneous with the election of officers. The result showed that 74.8 percent of the students favored the ban on plastic bottles.

Each year 38,400 plastic water bottled are sold throughout the campus that eventually end in landfills. To give the campaign a push, first year students will be given free reusable bottles during their orientation.

Aside from eschewing bottled water, the university will encourage the students to drink water from the taps which is safe and free.

University of Winnipeg president and vice chancellor Lloyd Axworthy said in a statement, "We are committed to a comprehensive Sustainability Management Syste at the University of Winnipeg, unique among Canadian universities, and the initiative shown by our students to reduce needless plastics on campus is consistent with that policy. We are proud to support this student-led initiative."

The Canadian Bottled Water Association, which will be affected, opposed the ban. Elizabeth Griswold, executive director of the association said since campuses are closed communities the bank would benefit manufacturers of other beverages high in sugar content, which are not prohibited from being sold in the university.