A campaign to encourage cafes, bars, restaurants and other businesses to allow people to fill water bottles from their taps launched in Brixton on Saturday 31 August.
Refill Brixton wants businesses to sign up to the Refill app and put a sticker in their window letting passers-by know they are welcome to fill up their bottle for free.
City to Sea, a not-for-profit organisation headed by campaigner Natalie Fee, launched the award-winning Refill Campaign in 2015.
It estimates that the scheme, now being rolled out nationwide with support from Water UK and local water companies, will cut plastic bottle use by tens of millions each year, as well as substantially increasing the availability of high quality drinking water.
Leonie Watson, Refill Brixton coordinator, said customers viewed businesses that provide free water refills more favourably and are more likely to return to them to make future purchases.
Anton Taratine of Stir Coffee on Brixton Hill is working towards removing all single use plastics from his operation.
“Although we have always refilled people’s bottles, having the sticker on the door breaks the ice and encourages someone who might not necessarily feel comfortable asking for water without buying anything, to do so,” he said.
Find out more about Refill Brixton and how you can take part @refillbrixton. Visit the Refill website at www.refill.org.uk
