Help us reduce plastic waste and ocean pollution by using a reusable bottle. SF State is phasing out use of plastic water bottles in accordance with the California State University's Procurement Policy.
SF State is providing free and affordable re-usable bottles on campus, plus many places to re-fill your bottle.
Students returning to campus for the fall 2021 semester will receive a SF State branded Pathwater reusable bottle. Bottles will be handed out around campus during the first weeks of class. Campus housing residents will receive a SF State-branded Pathwater reusable bottle as part of their welcome to campus.
This gift is a collaboration between University Advancement, Housing, Dining & Conference Services, San Francisco State Athletics, University Corporation, the SF State Alumni Association and the Office of Sustainability.
Find a place on campus to refill your bottle with this map of bottle filling stations. SF State is installing filtered water stations throughout campus.
SF State-branded Pathwater reusable bottles are available for purchase at campus convenience stores like Healthy U, Open 24, and the Lobby Shop.
The SF State bookstore carries many brands of reusable bottles.
Why phase out plastic bottles?
Plastic pollution is killing ocean life
Up to 13 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year—the equivalent of a garbage truck load’s worth every minute. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals can become entangled in or ingest plastic debris, causing suffocation, starvation, and drowning. Plastic particles also end up in the seafood we eat. (Source: Pew Trusts)
San Francisco's water is top quality
San Franciscans currently enjoy high-quality, great tasting water from the SFPUC Regional Water System. The majority of this water comes from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Unlike bottled water, our delicious tap water costs less than half a penny per gallon, is quality tested over 100,000 times a year, and goes straight to your tap. (Source:San Francisco Public Utilities Commission)
Plastic bottles increase demand for oil
Plastic is made from petroleum, and making all the plastic for the water bottles Americans consume uses 17 million barrels of crude oil annually. That is equivalent to the fuel needed for $1.3 million vehicles for a year! If you were to fill one quarter of a plastic water bottle with oil, you would be looking at roughly the amount used to produce that bottle. (Source: SF Board of Supervisors Bottled Water Fact Sheet)
Health impacts
Many plastic water bottles contain chemicals called phthalates that it has been shown can leach into the water. Phthalates are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, which can lead to infertility, cancer, miscarriages and other health problems. (Source: SF Board of Supervisors Bottled Water Fact Sheet)