The first ever nationwide Refill Day was a resounding success. We take a quick look at how the Bristol campaign has grown into a national network of free water points.
Georgina Wilson-Powell
Tue 9 Oct 2018
On 27 September, the first ever National Refill Day, the free water campaign, saw over 4,500 downloads of its app, which shows you the nearest cafes, restaurants and stores that will fill up your water bottle for free.
It also announced nationwide partnerships with John Lewis, Morrisons and the Boston Tea Party cafe chain - taking the number of Refill points in the UK to around 14,000. Pop into any of these and they'll fill up your water bottle, no need to spend a penny (so to speak). Other chains taking part include Wetherspoons, Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Pure, Bill's, Better Foods and Wholefoods.
The day trended on Twitter with support from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, cafe chain Leon, Iceland supermarkets and many more.
Click here for a list of new free water fountains in London.
44% of us now carry a reusable water bottle
It couldn't be more timely.
85% of the British public are worried about the impact of plastic pollution. 80% of people surveyed this month now use a reusable water bottle, at least sometimes, when outside the home.
44% of people using a reusable bottle have made the switch in the last 2 years and 18% have switched in the last year.
Which is good news but it's a drop in the ocean compared to our single use statistics...
In the UK 7.7 billion plastic water bottles are used each year, with the average person in the UK now using 150 plastic water bottles every year – that’s more than three a week. (Click here for our favourite plastic free, reusable water bottles).
Staggeringly if just one in 10 Brits Refilled just once a week, we’d save around 340 million plastic bottles a year.
Natalie Fee, founder and CEO of City to Sea (who are behind the Refill campaign and app) said: “It’s been incredible to watch the campaign flourish over the past two years. We wanted to do something that everyone could get onboard with, that would drastically reduce the amount of pointless plastic we use when we’re out and about. People want to help stop plastic pollution, and Refill puts the power to do just that in peoples’ hands.”
Have you used Refill yet? Download it here and find your nearest free tap water.
Click here for 7 easy ways to travel plastic free.
