Help Decrease Plastic Pollution with National Refill Day

Decrease Plastic Pollution with National Refill Day!

The days of disregarding plastic as pollution are over. The public and multimillion pound corporations have finally come to realise the detrimental effect it has on our planet. We’ve all become aware of these effects by seeing striking footage of animals being caught in plastic beer can rings, cling film and bottles.  

To try and stop this from happening it is important that we act fast. 

Here at Billi, we want to follow suit with other corporations to help reduce our plastic footprint. One of the easy ways to cut down using plastic in everyday life is to ditch single-use plastic water bottles. This action is what is leading National Refill Day which took place on Thursday 27^th of September. A number of surveys have been carried out to reveal we are all very aware of our plastic footprint.

A survey, by One Poll commissioned by City to Sea, shows that 85% of the public are worried about the impact of plastic pollution in the environment. It also suggests that more people than ever are switching to reusable bottles instead of buying bottles of water in shops. 80% of people surveyed now use a reusable water bottle, when outside the home. 44% of people using a reusable bottle have made the switch in the last 2 years. And, finally,  18% have switched in the last year.

Despite these statistics, there are still concerns from people carrying a reusable bottle. The survey also stated that more people in the UK would ask to refill their reusable bottle, even if they were not intending to make a purchase if they knew where they could fill up for free. 33% of people still feel uncomfortable asking to have their bottle refilled when not making a purchase. 

What is being done to encourage people to keep using their reusable bottle?

Refill, City to Sea’s campaign to discourage the use of single-use water bottles and pick up a reusable one is the ‘app for tap’. This app is a way to connect people who are looking for water. With transport centres, water fountains and businesses, the app shows users where they can refill (for free) on the go. Cafés, bars, restaurants, galleries, museums etc can sign up. All business have to do is sign up to the app and place a sticker in their window. This will let people know that they’re welcome to enter and fill up their bottle without any purchase having to be made. 

Over 12,000 Refill Stations are already listed on the app in the UK. Some of these include airports, train stations and high street chains such as Costa, Greggs and Starbucks. As well as these chains, it has been revealed that John Lewis has become the first department store, and Morrisons are the first supermarket to join the scheme. 

Refill and Water UK are encouraging the public to participate in National Refill Day. Simply download the free ‘app for tap’, bring your reusable bottle and refill on the go. By doing this, make sure to share your involvement on social media using the hashtag #NationalRefillDay and #RefillRevolution.