MSP is app-y to be backing plastic bid
A local politician has harnessed the latest technology in a bid to inform constituents they can top up their water bottles at her office.
Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP Roseanna Cunningham’s office on Perth’s Glasgow Road is the first Fair City venue to be registered on mobile phone app‘Refill’.
The smartphone technology is designed to let people know where they can obtain access to clean drinking water when out and about – removing the need to buy another bottle and, as a result, cut down on potential waste.
SNP politician Ms Cunningham said:“The Refill app is a great idea and, while I am happy for my constituency office to be the first in Perth to be registered as a refill spot, I hope it won’t be long
Roseanna Cunningham before I am followed by many more.
“Even if this was just about being a good neighbour and a decent human being, allowing thirsty passers-by to fill up their water bottles, this would be a good idea but it goes far further than that.
“Between eight and 12 million metric tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year – more than 80 per cent of it coming from land-based sources. The main contributor is larger plastic litter, including everyday items such as drinks bottles and other types of plastic packaging.
“By publicising the availability of this small service via the Refill app we can provide a network supporting people who choose to carry a refillable water bottle - whether on a walk, a run or just through their normal working day – rather than one or more single-use plastic bottles.
“Reducing our use of plastic is one of the big ecological challenges facing us right now as a society. Recent wildlife programmes have done a magnificent job in bringing the scale of the issue to the public awareness but it is up to each and every one of us to be part of the solution and we can all play a small part in a big response by making a commitment to using less plastic.”