The Refill Revolution
Mae Dorricott
Only a third of people (36%) in the UK own and regularly use a reusable water bottle, City to Sea’s Refill campaign was created to connect people on the go with free drinking water – saving money, helping you stay hydrated and most importantly, preventing plastic pollution at source.
Photo: Refill @refillhq
The Refill Revolution
The aim of Refill is to get the UK to ride the rise of the reusables and join us in tackling single-use plastics head on. Our vision is simple, with 17,000+ Refill Stations spread across the nation, from high street chains like Costa and Pret to train stations, airports, galleries, restaurants and cafes. All you need to do is look out for the window sticker or download the free app to find your fill, bring your water bottle and fill it up. And just like that, you’re part of the #RefillRevolution! Thanks to the 95,000 people who have downloaded the app and the thousands of businesses signed up, we’ve saved millions of single-use bottles at source. With plans to launch across New Zealand, Australia, the EU, and beyond, people across the globe will soon be able to join the revolution!
Have you got the bottle?
If even a tenth of people in the UK filled up their water bottles just once a week, then there would be an astounding 340 million less plastic bottles in circulation. With the average person buying more than 3 bottles a week, or 150 bottles of water a year it’s a quick and easy way to save money and help protect the planet.
Photo: Refill @refillhq
Driving community action
Refill is a grass roots campaign that is not only reducing plastic pollution but helping to empower local communities and provide everyday activists with a simple solution for their local town or city. There are now more than 160+ participating towns and cities who have started their own Refill Schemes - many hosting events such as workshops and beach and river cleans. It’s easy to get involved – find your local Refill scheme today!
There’s an app for that...
With over 95,000 app downloads more and more people using the app to locate the nearest Refill Stations to become a part of the action. You can also use the app to sign up a Refill Station in your area, and for the forgetful ones out there a bottle reminder to give you a little nudge to grab your bottle before you leave your house.
As a grassroots campaign we couldn’t do this without our fantastic followers and volunteers who are staying in tune with Refill and what we have in store for the future. Switching from a bottle a day to the reusable way is much simpler than you think. So stay hydrated and have a drink!
Photo: Refill @refillhq
find out more about CITY TO SEA and their upcoming campaigns HERE
Plastic Not Fantastic, part of our Research Series, highlights recent research efforts into the effects of plastic on marine life, and showcases organisations, individuals and initiatives fighting against the plastic tide
IF YOU'VE ENJOYED READING THIS ARTICLE, LOOK OUT FOR MORE PLASTIC NOT FANTASTIC articles from MAE AND FOLLOW HER HERE: @MAEKLD
References
Water, Water Everywhere (2018) Moving on from awareness to action on single use plastic bottles. Keep Britain Tidy & BRITA http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/sites/default/files/resources/Water%20Water%20Everywhere%202018%20Report%20WEB.pdf