NEW YORK - A bottled water ban has spread to more than 20 universities nationwide, with those colleges either banning the plastic bottles outright or imposing a more limited, partial ban, Delish.com reports.

The University of Vermont recently ended its contract with Dasani over its concern with plastic, despite the manufacturer??s introduction of a new "plant" bottle.

The bans are being supported by an organization called Ban the Bottle, a group that raises awareness about the economic impact associated with plastic bottles.

Students at some colleges, though, are fighting to preserve their right to use plastic. Last fall, the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, protested in favor of water bottles on campus, with one school group handing out bottled water when the administration decided to purge the containers from school vending machines.

Instead, the campus installed 31 "hydration stations" at a cost of $20,000 that allows students to refill reusable bottles.

In response to the increasingly vocal issue, manufacturers released a YouTube video that it says corrects "misinformation" from the students.

The issue is one that is not likely to go away soon. According to NPR, the bottled water industry realized $10.6 billion in revenue in 2010 followed by strong growth last year, and it is fighting to counter any attempt that the protest movement will have on sales this year.