Water stations to stop plastic waste
Scheme will allow bottle refills for free
Water refill stations are set to be installed in Maidstone town centre and Mote Park to help cut down on plastic waste around the borough.
The council’s Communities, Housing and Environment Committee has been asked to rubber-stamp plans to invest £15,000 in the equipment so visitors can top up reusable bottles with free tap water.
The aim is to encourage people to buy fewer single-use plastic bottles, supporting an existing national scheme, in which more than a dozen town centre businesses have already signed up to provide free refills.
A report presented to councillors notes that Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet documentaries have increased awareness among the dangers of plastic pollution in the sea, but “it has not necessarily materialised into actual change in how most people live their lives”.
It explains that fewer than half of the plastic bottles used in the UK are recycled, with the average person using 150 a year. The document also addresses the possibility of recommissioning the water fountain within the Queen’s Monument at the top of Jubilee Square as an alternative to installing the refill stations.
However, bosses do not recommend doing so, claiming direct-drinking fountains pose a greater risk to public health and of antisocial behaviour and that considerable disruptive work would be required to fix and reconnect the water supply. It is also noted the design of the fountain would not support refilling bottles.
The proposals have been drawn up by Refill - a grassroots campaign to prevent plastic pollution by increasing access to free tap water.
The group has a network of more than 15,000 stations across the UK, including 18 at businesses in Maidstone town centre.
A mobile app has also been produced allowing visitors to locate their nearest refill point. If the plans are approved by the committee next week, it is hoped two refill stations will be installed in the town centre by the start of the summer, with a third proposed for the new visitor centre at Mote Park.