Published: Wednesday, 8 January 2020

Oxford City Council is installing new drinking fountains in three of the city’s parks, as part of the City Council’s support for cutting plastic waste and providing free, healthy hydration

The first drinking fountain is already in place in Florence Park, with two more soon to follow in Bury Knowle and Cutteslowe Park.

Providing free water refills can help tackle single-use plastic waste by allowing people to keep reusing their drinking bottles, or just to grab a drink at the fountain without needing to buy a container. Clean, safe drinking water is the healthiest way to stay hydrated, with no hidden sugars or additives.

The project has been delivered in partnership with Refill Oxford. Refill Oxford is part of the City to Sea’s national campaign to promote the use of free tap water to reduce the 7.7 billion single-use plastic water bottles bought in the UK every year. In Oxford that’s calculated at 300 bottles every 8 minutes, which equates to 54,000 every 24 hours, according to Refill Oxford.

Refill Oxford have developed a network of 200 Refill stations in cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants, community & leisure centres in Oxford

“We have award winning parks and green spaces in Oxford, and we want to help people make the most of them. Spending time in the park is great for your mental health, and a great place for physical exercise. Whether you’re going for a run, lying in the sun or bringing children to the park, having free drinking water helps make it a low cost way to stay healthy.”

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Healthy Oxford

“We need to massively reduce our plastic waste to help the environment. Recycling still uses energy, so simple things like using a refillable drinking bottle or cup can help reduce our carbon footprint. These water fountains provide clean, free drinks that mean fewer plastic bottles in our bins and recycling centres.”

Councillor Tom Hayes, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford

Download the Refill app to find your nearest Refill station in Oxford.

 

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