Smith Ends Plastic Water Bottle Use Following Student Consulting Project, Sustainable Futures at Smith

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (Apr. 30, 2025) – The Center for Social Value Creation hosted its first Sustainable Futures at Smith: Consult for the Dean final presentations on April 30, 2025. This pilot initiative brought together a select group of students to tackle one of the Smith School’s most pressing sustainability challenges: reducing reliance on single-use plastic water bottles.

The program was designed as a student-led consulting experience, giving participants the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive audit of the school’s plastic water bottle usage, research sustainable alternatives, and present actionable recommendations to improve both environmental impact and operational efficiency. Limiting plastic waste and reducing plastic water bottle usage are priorities for the Smith School as it continues advancing sustainable practices.

Interest in this initiative was strong, with 44 students across undergraduate, master’s and MBA programs applying for the opportunity to participate. Eight students were selected, forming two cross-disciplinary teams of four.

Over the course of the semester, students completed an audit of current usage and costs, analyzed market trends, and developed tailored recommendations that included creating more effective messaging and altering event logistics. Their work culminated in presentations delivered directly to Dean Konana and Smith’s operations team.

The Sustainable Futures at Smith program reflects Smith’s commitment to equipping students with opportunities to apply their business knowledge to real-world challenges, while also setting a precedent for environmentally conscious decision making within the business community. 

Following the final presentations, Smith has now committed itself to the removal of single use plastic water bottles in the 2025-2026 school year.