Investigation of plastic-bottled, tap and filtered water: university students’ preference, identification and reported usage

Purpose This study aims to assess a university community’s reported usage and identification of, and preference for filtered (via public “hydration station”), single-use bottled water (SUBW) and tap water. Design/methodology/approach A double-blind, randomized taste-test experiment was conducted at a mid-size (approximately 7,700 students) university in the USA. Participants also completed a brief survey assessing beverage and container usage in the past week. Findings Of 112 participants, most preferred filtered water and commercial bottled water more than tap water. Overall, participants were most accurate in identifying tap water and least accurate with bottled water. For most preferred water, participants accurately identified tap water to a significant degree. Overall, participants’ taste preference for filtered water agreed with their self-report of high refillable bottle of filtered water usage. Practical implications Information about people’s water preferences may lead to less single-use plastic water bottles and more filtered water in refillable bottles from hydration stations to promote sustainability on university/college campuses and revamp how water is provided in public places. Social implications Behavior change campaigns to reduce plastic waste and health issues of SUBW may inform people that filtered water is more preferred than tap water by most students on a university campus. Moreover, filtered water is similar in taste and chemical composition to SUBW but more beneficial to health and environment, and less expensive. Originality/value Researchers have seldom compared double-blind water taste preferences and accuracy in identification of SUBW, tap water and filtered water with a university campus community.