London launches free tap water scheme

As part of the Mayor of London’s plans to reduce single-use plastic bottles in the capital, businesses around London have joined a scheme that offers people free tap water ‘refills’.

Sadiq Khan wants Londoners to adopt small changes that can have a big environmental impact, such as refilling bottles and cups with tap water, instead of needlessly buying new single-use ones. It is believed that the average London adult buys more than three plastic water bottles every week, which equates to 175 bottles per person each year.

Run by Thames Water and City to Sea, the Refill London scheme will initially operate in five areas of London: Greenwich town centre, Lewisham High Street, the Southbank and Bankside, Regent St, and London Bridge.

More than 65 businesses, venues and shops, including Costa Coffee, Tate Modern, BFI Imax and Leon, have already joined the Refill scheme in the five areas, and will also be listed on a free Refill app and website that lists all the locations in London and more than 5,700 refill locations across the UK.

Khan, said: “A free tap water scheme is long overdue in London and I welcome all of the retailers and business who have shown their strong commitment to reducing unnecessary plastic waste by joining the London Refill scheme. We all need to try harder to cut the excessive use of single-use plastic bottles, cups and cutlery that can end up pointlessly overflowing our landfill sites, finding their way into our oceans and harming our environment.  I hope that even more businesses sign up to the scheme to help Londoners make small but significant steps, like refilling our bottles, to drive down plastic waste. City Hall is part of the scheme and I encourage everyone to download the free London Refill app to see which outlets are involved.”