World Refill Day 2023
16th June 2023
World Refill Day is a global day of action to promote reuse and help us live with less waste.
Local activities
Swindon Hub
The Swindon Hub kindly hosted us for the day. We had a stand where we talked with Hub folk and the public about the many good reasons to move from single-use to reuse. The Hub offered a free refill to anyone who ordered a tea / coffee in a reusable cup from their cafe!
Birds and Bees show
The Birds and Bees show on Swindon 105.5 was dedicated to World Refill Day. It featured discussions with:
- Some of Swindon's Refill / zero waste champions: 10 Green Bottles, Weigh It Up, Lush, and Swindon Pulse Wholefoods.
- Rod Hebden, organiser of Swindon's Festival of Tomorrow and Green Party Parliamentary candidate for south Swindon.
The show is available on Mixcloud.
Information and support
We wrote to all local schools, parish councils, the borough council, and Parliamentary candidates providing information and asking them to support the day, to support reuse over single-use. We wrote to both local MPs asking them to end government corruption, to stop supporting powerful, wealthy corporate interests over the public interest, to instead implement strong legislation to timetable the reduction of plastic production.
Swindon's Refill champions
Refill Swindon's focus was on local Refill / zero waste champions, including 10 Green Bottles, Purton House Organics, Swindon Pulse Wholefoods, Weigh It Up, The Town Pantry, and Lush.
Matt and Michelle at Weigh It Up have a great reporting feature with the software they use at the shop. Look at the amazing difference they and their customers made in the first 6 months! Those small changes and steps certainly add up. It shows we all can and do make a big difference collectively!!
Let's not forget Swindon's other shining lights! Swindon has over 70 Refill stations, all of which can be found on the Refill app and our local stations list. Look out for Refill stickers and posters in participating businesses and organisations.
Welcome to new local stations!
Choose to reuse!
We encouraged people to get involved in various ways:
- Download the Refill app.
- Support Refill stations.
- Local businesses / organisations to sign up to the scheme.
In conclusion
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to make a great day in Swindon! Such collaboration shows the power we have working in common cause. Together we can deal with plastic pollution, reduce our environmental footprints, and realise a healthier, happier world!
#WorldRefillDay #ChooseToReuse @RefillSwindon
