World Refill Day 2022

World Refill Day on 16th June 2022 is a global public awareness campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste.

Run by Bristol-based environmental charity City to Sea, the annual event aims to help put the issue of single-use plastic back into the national spotlight, with many businesses having banned the use of reusable cups and containers altogether.

Table of Contents

1. The issue
2. How can you help?
3. Keep your bottle

The issue

Plastic pollution has quickly become one of the biggest environmental challenges facing us today. We once thought of our deepest oceans, our highest mountains and our planetary poles as the final frontiers; unexplored, unknown, and in some places, unreachable.

Research has shown this is no longer the case – we’re living in the age of plastic pollution, where even the Antarctic is floating in an invisible plastic soup. These are sad times for our big blue planet. Back in March, we commemorated World Water Day and, in a similar way, it's Refill counterpart looks to raise awareness of some of our world's biggest issues.

Lightweight, cheap to produce and virtually indestructible, plastic has been seen as a miracle material across countless industries. We create more than 300 million tonnes of plastic every year: half of this is single use. The numbers are frightening — globally, less than 2% of all packaging is reusable and less than 10% of any plastic ever used has been recycled.

So how on earth did we get here and what do we need to do to turn off the tap? And how does the production of plastic connect with the other huge threat to our planet – the climate crisis?

How can you help?

Choose to reuse

Say goodbye to single-use plastic and make small changes by switching to a reusable water bottle, trying a zero-waste shop or using a reusable coffee cup.

Download the free refill app

Download the free topping up app to find a place to refill and reuse at work, in the gym, or in your local cafe.

Make reuse the new normal

In the wake of the pandemic, our habits have changed and there's a need to remind people it’s perfectly safe to choose to reuse. Help us make a splash on social media and remind everyone to dig out their reusable bottle again. Share a selfie of you and your reusable bottle, cup or container and tell the world you’re taking action on plastics by choosing to reuse this #WorldRefillDay.

Tell your business to act

Let your favourite brands know YOU want to see them do more to reduce single-use plastic by offering reusable options, tell them you want to #ChooseToReuse by calling them out on social media.

Share the love

Show some love to the amazing businesses that have been powering the #RefillRevolution by supporting them this #WorldRefillDay. Let the businesses not yet accepting reusables, or offering refill/reuse options, know you want to be able to #ChooseToReuse.

Keep your bottle

Research suggests that buying a reusable water bottle rather than a single use plastic bottle could stop over 1,000 plastic bottles littering the ocean (over the course of 3 years). Plus, reusable water bottles can last a long time. We take them everywhere – to work, school, university, the gym: the list is endless.

These will not be made from single-use plastic. Instead, they are made from significantly more durable types of plastic.  These reusable plastic water bottles are commonly used as promotional items for companies, popular with those doing sports. As a nation, we collect a lot of them and, after use, you can either keep it for next time or take it down to your local refuse and recycling centre (a.k.a the tip).

Do your bit and #ChooseToReuse this World Refill Day: 16th June 2022.