Sustainable Merton Launch Refill Merton

Introducing Refill Merton – fighting plastic pollution one single-use bottle at a time.

Sustainable Merton, the borough’s leading environmental charity, is excited to announce the launch of Refill Merton, the latest addition to their #PlasticFreeMerton campaign. Refill is a national award-winning scheme by City to Sea that tackles plastic pollution at the source. It’s estimated 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. Through bringing a local Refill chapter to Merton, Sustainable Merton aims to disrupt the social norm of buying bottled water when on-the-go, and make carrying a reusable bottle the new normal.

Natalie Fee, Founder of City to Sea | Credit: Refill www.refill.org.uk

Research shows that despite more people than ever carrying reusable water bottles, over 71% of us feel uncomfortable asking for a refill if we’re not buying something at the same time. How does Refill work? Through the Refill App, Refill empowers people to ask for free tap water by connecting them with businesses where this is welcomed. By displaying a window sticker, Merton residents can easily identify friendly local Refill Stations.

“We’re so excited that Refill Merton is joining the Refill movement and making a real difference by reducing reliance on single-use plastics. Every time we refill a re-usable bottle we save our own money and the planet’s resources, and all those individual refills add up to a huge impact. It’s great to see so many local businesses supporting Refill Merton by signing up to provide free refills.”
– Natalie McClue, Refill London Coordinator

Refill Merton will officially be launching on Wednesday 22nd January, 11am-2pm, inside Centre Court Shopping Centre, Wimbledon – outside Lakeland. Mark your calendar! Come out to learn more, take a plastic-free pledge, and help Sustainable Merton combat plastic pollution one Refill at a time!

Refill Merton Sticker | Credit: Refill www.refill.org.uk

Plastic bottles now make up one-third of all ocean plastic pollution and there are now over 159 plastic bottles for every mile of beach in the UK. The overall impact on our wildlife is catastrophic, with 100,000 marine mammals and turtles and 1 million seabirds being killed by plastic pollution every year.

“If you don’t have refillable water bottle already now is the time to get one. With more and more businesses signing up to Refill, filling your bottle on the move will be the new norm. Sign up to the Refill app and you are ready to go!”
– Diana Sterck, Chief Executive of Sustainable Merton

By using the Refill App and saying no to single-use plastic, you are helping to protect our oceans, combating climate change, and saving money all at the same time. Download the Refill App today at refill.org.uk.

Refill Merton Business | Credit: Refill www.refill.org.uk

If you are interested in joining Refill Merton to spread the word about what we can each do to live a more sustainable lifestyle, please visit www.sustainablemerton.org, or get in touch at refillmerton@sustainablemerton.org.

Contributor: Amy Coyne | Local Champion, Refill Merton