#OneLess teams up with Mayor of London to launch drinking fountain initiative and tackle ocean plastic blight
A new initiative by the #OneLess bottle campaign and the Mayor of London to install public water fountains has launched today (Sunday 25 March 2018) with the first installation in Kingly Court, Carnaby.
Kingly Court, the three-floor foodie emporium in the heart of London’s West End, is the ideal location to launch this initiative, being home to a handpicked range of over 20 independent and concept restaurants, bars and cafés, all situated around the open-air courtyard.
As part of the drive to rid London of polluting single-use plastic water bottles, the initiative will see the installation of 20 fountains around the Capital with up to ten located as part of a community competition. Data about the effectiveness of this approach will be used to inform the placement and installation of more drinking fountains over the coming months to support a city-wide shift away from bottled water, to a new system of refilling.
This is part of a suite of trials established by the Mayor and builds on the work of the #OneLess campaign and its members to tackle plastic pollution in the ocean.
The drinking fountains in the trial are supplied by MIW Water Cooler Experts, a #OneLess champion and partner of the campaign. Community groups can take part in the initiative and apply to win a fountain for permanent installation in their area by visiting www.onelessbottle.org/fountainfund.
Londoners currently get through one billion single-use plastic water bottles every year; around 175 per person. #OneLess is working with partners right across London to create a ‘refill revolution’, transforming the Capital into a place where single-use bottled water is a thing of the past and where refilling rules.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
To get a grip on needless plastic waste we need to provide simple ways of refilling and accessing free water, and water fountains are the much-needed solution. I hope the first four of the 20 new fountains this year will be popular additions to Carnaby Street, Liverpool Street Station and Flat Iron Square. For years public water fountains have been disappearing from London’s streets; I want to hear from land owners in some of London’s most-visited locations so we can continue returning them to the capital.
Dr Heather Koldewey, Director of the #OneLess campaign and Head of Marine Conservation at the Zoological Society of London said:
London is a coastal city, connected to the ocean by the River Thames. Every day the ocean sends oxygen, weather, fresh water and wildlife into the heart of our city through the Thames and every day we send plastic debris back. The #OneLess ‘refill revolution’ will make a huge impact on reducing this plastic blight on our ocean, and London is leading the way in enabling it. We are delighted to be partnering with the Mayor of London on this exciting #OneLess initiative.
Mike Winter, Managing Director of MIW Water Cooler Experts said:
MIW Water Cooler Experts has worked closely with #OneLess and the Greater London Authority on this project, and we’re delighted to be part of this important initiative. We don’t just want to ensure that Londoners have the tools they need to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles in their city, but to help raise further awareness – and hopefully set out a blueprint for other cities around the world to follow.
The introduction of drinking fountains where people can fill up for free works alongside the growing number of organisations, attractions and areas which have ‘gone #OneLess’, removing or reducing single-use plastic water bottles within their premises and providing refill alternatives. The #OneLess movement is spreading across London, with the likes of Selfridges, London Zoo, Borough Market, 15Hatfields, and the Natural History Museum all switching to refilling.
