Businesses across Bristol are being urged to join a pioneering campaign to slash the number of single-use plastic bottles that end up littering the city’s streets and waterways.
Refill Bristol wants firms to encourage their staff to buy multi-use water bottles – which it is selling for £10 – and then refill them with tap water. 
It also wants cafes, bars and restaurants in the city to commit to giving free tap water to anyone who wants their bottle refilled.
The campaign is backed by the Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson, Green Capital delivery organisation Bristol 2015, and Bristol-based ethical water company Frank Water, which offers free refills at music festivals.
Refill Bristol is the brainchild of Natalie Fee, founder of Bristol’s City to Sea initiative, which has brought together local environmental experts, marine campaigners and the public keen take action on the marine litter problem.
She said: “We’re fortunate to have high quality tap water here in Bristol and we hope Refill Bristol will help Bristolians fall back in love with it – by popping into one of Bristol’s excellent cafes and bars and staying hydrated for free! It’s a win-win, saving consumers money whilst helping reduce the amount of plastic bottles we see all over our local riverbanks.”
The interest from local businesses to sign up as refill stations has been positive and stickers are already popping up around the city.
Director of Bristol 2015 Zoe Sear added: “As the European Green Capital, it is fitting that Bristol should take a lead on the problem of Marine Litter – which has local and global implications. The Bristol Whales highlighted the issue but now we need to take action and I hope that businesses and consumers alike will embrace Refill Bristol.”
Single-use plastic bottles are light and often end up on Bristol’s streets and in its waterways. Just a quarter are recycled.
They litter the River Frome around Eastville, the banks of the Avon, the beaches at Portishead and further afield. Bottle tops, which fall down the storm drains, are a real problem for marine life and birds mistaking them for a tasty snack. The impact of bottled water in the UK also includes the production of bottles that use finite resources, processing and transportation (water is heavy) which equates to an estimated 100g of Carbon Dioxide per bottle – or a staggering 350,000 tonnes per year.
The average individual in the UK will have spent an estimated £25,000 on drinking water and related fizzy drinks in a lifetime.
Visit www.refillablecities.com for more information.
