Walking along Brighton beach, you see a couple holding hands. In their other hand: bottled water. You might ask: who would find fault with this? It sounds idyllic at first and you might wonder what could be wrong? The bottles they are holding might end up in the sea they are walking next to and admiring, endangering its inhabitant species.
Living in the beautiful seaside town of Brighton, we have a strong connection to the sea. Looking after our beautiful beach is in our interest. More than in many other places in the UK, in Brighton there is a strong sense of connection to our environment, owing some extent to the great tradition of Green attitudes in the city.
Therefore, Refill could not have found a better place to take over next.
A project aiming to reduce plastic use by getting people to refill their bottles and convincing business to sign up for an app that shows people where they can do so.
Why do we want to achieve the same in Brighton? Single-use plastic bottles take hundreds of years to decompose and they often make it into our waterways and the sea, threatening aquatic life. By refilling, we not only take away the need to recycle thus saving an enormous amount of money and energy; we also look after marine wildlife. As Brightonians, we should really try and conserve what we have right on our doorstep.
Refill Brighton will be launching the app in the forthcoming months and our volunteers are chomping at the bit to get out there and talk to businesses about the benefits of joining. Participating cafes, bars, restaurants, banks, galleries, museums and other businesses will receive a round, blue sticker they can display in their window, inviting thirsty passers-by to come on in and fill up their bottle – for free. Anyone can download the app to find Refill points or add these themselves. There are points to be collected and great rewards to be won.
Once the map of Brighton is busy with Refill points, we’ll start the next phase: telling everyone about the benefits of refilling to people: students, tourists, mums, walkers. Brighton is full of active, fun folk always on the go. They need to know how easy it is to do your bit for the environment: use our app, find refill points, refill and quench your thirst. They will save money too.
We are currently spreading the word about the project and you can follow us on social media to find out about our progress. Our Twitter handle is @refillbrighton and we also have a Facebook page and Instagram. We are always looking for new energy and enthusiasm, so if you’d like to volunteer as a Refill Ambassador, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on any of these platforms and download our volunteer application form.
Read more about how Refill started in Bristol.
Find out more about marine plastic pollution.