#ONELESS LEADERS SUMMIT: MAKING WAVES

Whether you’re commuting, shopping or sightseeing, touring any city can be a thirsty business. 

The go-to way to stay hydrated on-the-go is to buy a disposable plastic bottle of water, a decision Londoners make over a billion times a year. This means over a billion single-use plastic bottles are used across the capital every year, equating to approximately 175 bottles per person. Not only are these plastic water bottles unnecessary in a city like London, which has clean drinking water available out of the tap, but they could be making their way into the River Thames and the ocean, harming marine life for years to come.

With eight million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean every year, we knew London needed to start a new trend. So in 2016, we launched the #OneLess campaign to revolutionise the way London drinks water and reduce usage of that most recognisable symbol of ocean plastic – the single-use plastic water bottle.

We’ve built a movement of businesses, brands, events, venues, public spaces, universities, local authorities, retailers and grassroots campaigns who are all acting to reduce plastic bottled water use in favour of refillable bottles, drinking fountains, fill-up points, and the humble tap.

So far we’ve been joined by the Mayor of London, Selfridges, ZSL London Zoo, the Natural History Museum, Lord’s Cricket Ground,  Carnaby, the London Borough of Lewisham, Shaftesbury PLC, Thames Water, Liverpool Street train station, Pret A Manger, Royal Lancaster London hotel, City to Sea, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office  – and many more! Even the capital’s iconic free evening newspaper, the Evening Standard, is on board.

And the great news is that things ARE changing in London:

• The refillable water bottle is one of London’s hottest accessories.
• We can now boast an expanded network of public drinking fountains, which have been tremendously popular! (The original 28 #OneLess drinking fountains have dispensed over 259,000 litres of water – the equivalent of half a million plastic water bottles).
• There’s also a really handy network of over 2,500 free fill-up points in cafes (which you can locate using the Refill App,developed by City to Sea).
• New hydration solutions are rolling out at events, including the London Marathon and test matches at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
• Shops and visitor attractions are making it easier to fill-up your refillable bottle and ditch that pesky single-use water bottle while you’re out and about – the Boots Covent Garden store and the Natural History Museum are just two examples.
• Offices across the capital, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are encouraging their employees to change their behaviour.
• We’ve seen some really striking public awareness-raising campaigns including National Refill Day and #OneLess’s very own ‘Hello London, Goodbye Ocean Plastic’ campaign which hit the streets this summer and influenced over five million people to make the most of all the alternatives to single-use plastic bottled water.

But there is still more that can be done. 2020 is a pivotal year of action for the ocean, with international targets for biodiversity, conservation and sustainable development being reviewed and renewed across the world. There is an unparalleled opportunity to raise global ambitions and secure a real future for the ocean – a future without the threat posed by plastic. We want to accelerate this transition away from plastic bottled water in London, build the motivation for wider, bolder action to encourage refilling, and firmly establish London as a world leader in combatting the ocean plastic crisis.

Become part of the solution at the #OneLess summit. At the #OneLess summit, we’ll showcase trailblazing organisations that are at the forefront of action to tackle ocean plastic. They’ll share their achievements and their learnings, and inspire others to act too. Expect an inspirational, hands-on day that will help you connect with those already on this journey, overcome barriers you may be encountering, and equip you with the information you need to implement positive change in your local area or organisation. This event is an unmissable opportunity to learn from pioneering organisations and businesses about their actions to reduce and eliminate single-use plastic bottled water usage in favour of more sustainable options, focusing on refilling and reusing. Prepare to be inspired, get practical insights and advice, and network.

Who’s speaking? Guest speakers include representatives from Pret A Manger, Greater London Authority, Selfridges, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Shaftesbury PLC, Liverpool University, Royal Lancaster London Hotel and many more!

How to get a ticket? Tickets are selling fast. Please register via this link.