Businesses in Enfield can do their bit to support recycling, sustainability and reducing single-use plastics by signing up to the Refill London scheme.
Local business owners can display a sticker in their window welcoming people to access water for free. In addition, restaurants and cafes with a publicly accessible tap can create a profile on the Refill app at no charge.
Enfield has also been awarded two Refill water fountains at Enfield Town and Edmonton Green stations where members of the public can access clean, free water, easily. These fountains are provided by the Mayor of London and Thames Water, who have partnered to install a network of drinking water fountains in busy areas of London.
The aim of the Refill scheme is to reduce the number of plastic water bottles that are thrown away each year and to keep everyone hydrated.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Guney Dogan, said: “The average Londoner will use plastic water bottles 175 times every year. If the people of Enfield could commit to filling a reusable bottle, we could take a huge number of plastic bottles out of circulation. This would also mean fewer bottles littering the streets and our waterways.
“The participation of local businesses in the scheme is also key to its success. Businesses will not only be helping in our fight against plastic pollution, they will see higher footfall in their establishments – it’s a win-win collaboration.”
According to Refill, over the last 15 years, the consumption of bottled water has doubled in the UK. Of the 13 billion plastic bottles used each year, an estimated 7.7 billion or nearly 60% are plastic water bottles and half of these are not recycled. This means around 15 million plastic bottles are littered, landfilled or incinerated every day.
It is more important than ever to recycle, reuse and reduce. During Recycle Week (23-29 September) Enfield Council's recycling team will be out and about giving advice on how to reduce waste and recycle more. They will also be advising on the upcoming changes to bin services.