London public water fountains a success

The 15 fountains installed across the capital are reducing plastic bottle waste and the project is likely to be expanded.

The #OneLess campaign has said that public drinking fountains installed across London in its pilot project are being widely used and are likely to be contributing to a reduction in plastic bottle use.

It said 77,737 litres of water have been dispensed by 15 fountains in the last year, the equivalent of 155,474 single-use plastic water bottles of 500ml each.

Fountains were installed by #OneLess with funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) and MIW Water Cooler Experts.

It said 53% of fountain users reported they used fewer plastic bottles due to more fountains being available and 84% consciously avoided using single-use plastic bottles.

The #OneLess campaign is led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Its project manager Fiona Llewellyn said: “We're delighted that this #OneLess initiative has already proved such a tremendous success and that Londoners are choosing to hydrate in a way that supports a cleaner and healthier ocean.“

London deputy mayor for environment and energy Shirley Rodrigues said: “Our fountain network is an important part of the mayor's work to protect the environment from plastic waste and promote the use of sustainable, reusable bottles.

“The Mayor is continuing to expand water fountain provision in London throughout the year so that thousands more people can keep hydrated across the city.“

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