Guide for schools: Fewer plastic packaging through smart water dispensers
More and more schools are adopting environmental policies, yet in practice, playground bins are still too often overflowing with disposable plastic bottles and drink cartons after the lunch break.
How do you break this habit without teachers or school leaders having to act as the "plastic police"?
The key isn't stricter rules—it's the psychology of the playground: simplicity and appeal. When chilled, great-tasting water is readily available, choosing the sustainable option naturally becomes the easiest and coolest choice for students. As a result, schools can dramatically reduce waste while at the same time encouraging a healthy habit.
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TIP
Start with a one-week playground audit
Over the course of one representative school week, count how many disposable plastic bottles and drink cartons end up in playground bins and cafeteria waste areas after recess and lunch breaks. Multiply that number by 36 school weeks, and you'll immediately get a realistic picture of the amount of waste your school generates each year—and how much of it you could eliminate at the source.
Why Schools Are Choosing to Reduce Plastic Packaging
As a school, you play a vital role in teaching healthy and sustainable habits. By choosing a drinking water station, you can dramatically reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles and drink cartons on campus. In doing so, you send a clear and tangible message to both students and parents.
This choice also aligns with broader sustainability initiatives in education, such as MOS (Environmental Care at School). Schools are increasingly encouraged to create environmentally conscious learning environments, and reducing single-use plastic on the playground is a visible step that makes a difference every single day.
The Benefits for Schools and Universities
The advantages are immediately noticeable:
- Less litter on the playground thanks to the disappearance of disposable bottles and drink cartons.
- More reuse, as refillable water bottles quickly become the norm.
- A stronger, future-focused reputation as a sustainable and environmentally responsible school.
But the impact extends far beyond sustainability. Students benefit as well:
- Better concentration and focus through regular hydration.
- More energy to stay alert throughout the school day.
- Improved overall health by encouraging students to drink more water.
With the right solution, sustainability and student wellbeing go hand in hand.
Reducing Plastic at School Starts with the Right Infrastructure
Many schools want to create a low-waste campus but encounter practical challenges. Simply asking students to bring a reusable water bottle is rarely enough.
If they then have to refill that bottle from a traditional lukewarm tap in the restroom, many lose motivation. They simply drink less water or buy packaged drinks outside the school gates instead.
Plastic reduction only succeeds when the infrastructure supports the ambition. Sustainable behaviour develops when the sustainable choice is also the most attractive and convenient one.
TIP: Install drinking water stations where students naturally pass by—next to the cafeteria, along the route to the playground, and in busy hallways. A water station students have to search for will have little impact on their daily habits.
The Measurable Impact of AQUALEX on Campus
When a school with 500 students makes the switch, the results quickly become tangible.
Take this example: if every student uses an average of two disposable drink containers per week at school, that's around 1,000 single-use packages every week.
Multiply that by a school year of approximately 40 teaching weeks, and your school could eliminate around 40,000 disposable drink packages every year. That's a substantial and immediate reduction in waste.
Designed for the Reality of School Breaks
To achieve that impact, a drinking water station must be able to handle the unique dynamics of a school environment. During a 15-minute break, dozens of students want to refill their bottles at the same time. Standard taps often have insufficient flow rates or wear out quickly under intensive use.
Our ALASQ MURO drinking water station has been specifically designed for these demanding conditions. This wall-mounted unit combines a compact design with a high flow rate, allowing students to refill their bottles in seconds without creating long queues.
Its exceptionally robust construction and intuitive operation make it perfectly suited to busy playgrounds and school corridors.
What's more, the ALASQ MURO can be customised with your school's logo or colours, turning it into a recognisable and integrated part of your campus.
Why Hygiene Matters to Students
Traditional drinking fountains are often a source of frustration for schools and health & safety coordinators. Students have to place their mouths close to the water outlet, making the fountain less hygienic and increasing the risk of bacteria spreading. The result? Students simply avoid using them.
This was also the experience at PIUS X Kortrijk, where outdated drinking fountains were replaced with ALASQ MURO water stations. Technical Director Steven Desmet explained that students could not place a bottle underneath the old fountains and that hygiene was difficult to guarantee because many students drank directly from the spout.
AQUALEX technology has been designed with these real-world school challenges in mind. The ALASQ MURO allows students to refill their bottles easily without touching the outlet, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and making drinking water both hygienic and convenient again.
Trusted by Schools and Universities Across Flanders
From large university campuses to local school groups, every educational institution faces different sustainability challenges.
At universities such as VUB and HOGENT, the priority is serving thousands of students quickly in large cafeterias and central halls.
In primary and secondary schools, such as Scholengroep St-Michiel and Stedelijk Onderwijs, the focus is on vandal-resistant solutions and simple operation in playgrounds and school corridors.
With our tailor-made drinking water solutions, every educational institution receives a reliable, hygienic solution that fits its specific infrastructure and daily needs.
Discover how schools and universities that have already chosen AQUALEX provide students, staff and visitors with safe, hygienic and sustainable drinking water every day.
Conclusion: Make Your School a Sustainable Role Model
Reducing single-use plastic doesn't have to become an administrative burden or organisational challenge. With the right infrastructure, sustainable behaviour becomes visible where it matters most: on the playground, in the cafeteria and throughout your school.
By choosing AQUALEX, you:
- Reduce plastic waste structurally
- Encourage reusable habits
- Make drinking water visible and appealing
- Help build a healthier, future-ready learning environment
Plastic reduction becomes more than a one-off initiative—it becomes a practical step within a broader sustainability strategy for your school.
Curious how much waste and money your school could save this academic year?
Calculate your school's potential plastic reduction with the AQUALEX Impact Calculator, or get expert advice on the ideal drinking water station for your playground, cafeteria or campus.
Why Schools Are Choosing Modern Drinking Water Stations
"With the old drinking fountains, it wasn't possible to place a bottle underneath. Hygiene was also a concern, as many students put their mouths directly on the spout. On top of that, the fountains were turned off during the winter and were often forgotten when spring arrived."
