Bring Your Bottle – World Refill Day (16 June)

World Refill Day, held each year on 16 June, is a global day of action to tackle plastic pollution and encourage a shift from single-use packaging to reuse and refill. Led by the UK environmental charity City to Sea, it invites individuals, communities and organisations to make simple swaps that collectively have a big impact.

Every year, an estimated 8–12 million tonnes of plastic enters our oceans, much of it from single-use items used for only a few minutes but lasting for centuries. Globally, less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled. Choosing to reuse—by refilling a bottle, carrying a reusable cup or reducing packaging—helps cut waste at its source.

Here in Ashtead Parish, we’ve already taken steps in this direction. Last year, we stopped using disposable paper cups—which are often difficult or impossible to recycle due to their plastic lining—to help reduce unnecessary waste.

As the weather warms up, we’re encouraging everyone to take the next simple step:
👉 Bring your own water bottle to church and refill it using our on-site filtered water coolers.

It’s an easy way to build on what we’ve already started and further reduce our environmental impact.

Have You Got It Mapped Out?

There’s an app that makes it easy to find places to refill on the go. The Refill app highlights locations worldwide where you can refill water bottles—including our very own water fountain at St George’s Church. Download the app HERE: