With the help of Drake University students, Homesteaders Life Co. of West Des Moines announced Thursday that it will phase out plastic water bottles that typically must be landfilled or recycled and are considered tough on the environment.

The company gave each of its 150 employees at the home office a reusable water bottle. The company plans to install water stations where the bottles can be filled.

A contingent of students from Drake’s Environmental Action League and Leadership Education and Development program presented a cost-benefit analysis at a meeting at Homesteaders on Thursday morning. “We expect that after two years, Homesteaders will have saved enough by cutting out plastic water bottles to cover the initial investment in new hydration stations,” said Kelly Leatherman, a sophomore public relations and environmental policy major. “After that, we project a savings of over $4,800 each year.”

Homesteaders officials welcomed the idea. “Not only is the program good for the company, our employees and the environment, but it also provides an opportunity for these Drake students to get some hands-on experience pitching new ideas in a real-world business setting,” said Homesteaders Chairman and CEO Steve Lang.