This ambitious pilot campaign aims to take the battle against single-use plastic pollution to new heights.
Phoebe Young
Fri 15 Nov 2019
Free app, Refill, have teamed up with plastic pollution campaigning organisation, City to Sea to launch this exciting new venture.
The Refill app connects you with, and guides you towards, sites where you can refill your water bottle. The campaign is working with retailers and developing the app to enable you to refill your coffee cup, lunch box and groceries bags as well as your bottle when you’re out, about on the go. You can even use it for cleaning products and toiletries.
It is increasingly common for people to have lunch and drinks ‘on the go’ in the UK, instead of bringing their own supplies with them from home.
Why Is It So Crucial To Refill More Than Just Bottles?
Reducing the number of single-use plastic bottles that are bought and disposed of is just the tip of the (rapidly disappearing) iceberg when it comes to plastic pollution.
It is increasingly common for people to have lunch and drinks ‘on the go’ in the UK, instead of bringing their own supplies with them from home.
A Mintel report from 2018 showed that 75% of consumers buy a takeaway lunch every single day of the week.
The fall out, according to an IDG report, is 1.13 trillion items of packaging, most of which were plastic and used for food and drinks in the EU alone last year. This is thought to be why takeaway cups and food containers are consistently some of the top 10 most commonly found items littered over beaches and along rivers is the UK.
With the Refill app, you will be connected with retailers who will refill your cups, bottles and boxes.
How Will Refill Help This Issue?
The Refill pilot campaign is kicking off in Oxford and Bristol for three months.
With the Refill app, you will be connected with retailers who will refill your cups, bottles and boxes.
Any discount codes or rewards for bringing your own containers will also be highlighted.
As well as larger retailers like Waitrose and LEON, almost 70 independent cafes and businesses have signed up to take part in the pilot too.
Refill are also working with employers and officers to address the mindset issue that is another part of the problem. Many people simply do not want to carry a reusable cup and container around with them. City to Sea and Refill are encouraging businesses to stock these items to increase their popularity and foster behavioural change.
Many people simply do not want to carry a reusable cup and container around with them.
How Can You Get Involved?
If you are part of a forward-thinking business or a food-to-go retailer in either Oxford or Bristol, City To Sea would love you to take part in the pilot.
If you already allow customers to bring their own containers for hot drinks, food and other household supplies, sign up to be on the Refill map!
If refills are not yet part of your business, now is the time to consider them, since the app will help direct people to you. If you are based outside of Oxford and Bristol, offering refills is a fantastic venture to undertake anyway, for your business and your planet. It will also help the campaign to reach other areas, once the pilot is complete.
As a consumer, you can support the campaign by simply downloading and using the app. If you have yet to start bringing your own containers with you to buy food, drink, cleaning supplies and toiletries, now is the time to give it a go. Refill makes it simple and convenient, you’ll save money, cut down on single-use plastic and inspire others to follow suit.
If you have yet to start bringing your own containers with you to buy food, drink, cleaning supplies and toiletries, now is the time to give it a go
Who Are Refill?
Refill are an award-winning campaign and app that simply yet brilliantly connects over 250,000 app users with 30,000 Refill Stations across the UK. At each station, users can easily fill up their reusable bottles, drastically reducing the incentive or the need to buy bottled water.
Who Are City To Sea?
City to Sea is a not-for-profit organisation seeking to stop plastic pollution at its source. They use award-campaigns that offer practical, solutions-focused initiatives to tackle the single-use plastic problem and advocate reuse over single-use.
