Pepsi price increase could lead to healthier students

August 8, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida students will return later this month to higher priced carbonated beverages in campus vending machines.

The price increase is in response to a request from Pepsi, UF’s exclusive beverage vendor, citing higher transportation, product and packaging costs. The price of 12-ounce cans will increase from 60 cents to 75 cents, and the price of 20-ounce bottles of carbonated drinks will increase from $1 to $1.25.

However, prices will not change for noncarbonated beverages such as water, Gatorade, fruit juices, Starbucks products and energy drinks. The idea is to make it easier for students, faculty and staff to buy the good stuff.

“We are making strides to improve the offerings of healthier choices on campus as part of the Healthy Gator 2010 Initiative,” said Jerry Meriwether, assistant director of UF’s Business Services Division. “Holding down the prices for noncarbonated beverages was part of this initiative.”

Healthy Gator 2010 is a campuswide program aimed at reducing stress and improving health among UF’s faculty, staff and students.

Pepsi also has committed to recycling on campus, and will be working to get more recycling bins out across campus. Approximately 1.8 million beverages are sold at campus vending machines each year, according to Meriwether, which adds up to a lot of empty bottles and cans.

Using the Gator 1 card vending account will continue to allow students to save money on the products they buy. Noncarbonated, bottled beverages, which are currently $1, will still continue to be discounted to 90 cents when a Gator 1 card is used. Carbonated, bottled beverages will be discounted from $1.25 to $1.10. Additional card readers will be added to vending machines across campus to make this service more available to students, faculty and staff.