Our responsible business commitment is to support the tap water refill campaign to reduce plastic bottled water.
We provide a fantastic product that is cheap and wholesome, we want people to trust that their water is good to drink and value the product as vital for their health.
Our engagement to develop our responsible business programme showed that concern about plastic pollution of water was high on the agenda for our customers and stakeholders and was something they wanted and expected to see us active on.
Our employees also want to be involved as they care about the future of water.
This activity contributes to the WaterUK Public Interest Commitment to prevent the equivalent of four billion plastic bottles ending up as waste by 2030.
We aim to increase the number of refill-designated businesses within our region which will support opportunity for consumers to choose the option of tap water. We will also run an annual hydration campaign to promote tap water as a great choice.
Desired impact – For more people to be using tap water rather than single-use bottled water.
How have we performed?
As the way in which people lead their lives has changed significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic and with the economy and the cost of living being at the forefront of people’s mind, customers and stakeholders mention plastic bottle consumption less often as a priority.
However, plastic use remains a very tangible challenge for the environment and society, for example with increasing awareness of micro plastics in the environment and the food chain.
We will continue to work with local organisations in our areas to install water stations but we are looking at other ways of contributing to reducing plastic use and pollution.
Through the summer of 2023, our hydration station appeared at the Kent County Show and Eastbourne Airborne Show, distributing free refills of drinking water to attendees. The combined attendance of both events was more than 750,000 visitors. By advertising and providing free water refills to attendees of the shows, we directly decreased the amount of water drunk from from single use plastics and reduced the carbon footprint of those events.
We engage regularly with our customers on the importance of using water wisely. Some of our stakeholders have told us that, as we do this, we could also maintain public awareness about the challenge of plastic pollution and the positive role that drinking tap water, on the move or at home, can play. We will explore how we may follow that suggestion to help maintain awareness about plastic.