A petition to the University of Victoria is at 500 signatures

Levi Hildebrand wants to make a point about the unsustainability of paper cups on the University of Victoria campus. (YouTube)

A petition to no longer have paper cups at the University of Victoria campus has gained more than 500 signatures in just one week.

Started by UVic student Levi Hildebrand, it asks the school to introduce a cup-share program, use mugs in campus cafes, or sell cheap travel mugs.

“At UVic, over 3,000 paper coffee cups are thrown out every day. That is the equivalent of one average-sized tree here on Vancouver Island,” the Change.org petition reads. “The paper cups sold on campus are compostable and recyclable, but due to a lack of education and clear signage, most of these cups end up in the garbage.”

To give people a sense of how bad they feel the situation is, Hildebrand and other dumped 3,000 paper cups on his head – and captured it all on video.

No comment so far from school officials.