Train stations in the UK will install new, free drinking water fountains, which aim to improve the experience of station users and help to fulfill commitments to reduce plastic pollution.
Rail operator Network Rail, which owns 20 of the UK’s biggest stations – including London Euston, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly – has begun the rollout of new, free drinking water fountains with the ultimate aim of installing them at all of the stations it operates across the country.
Water fountains were first installed at London’s Charing Cross station in February, with the most recent installation taking place last month at Liverpool’s Lime Street station. They have also been installed in major stations in Birmingham and Manchester, and Network Rail estimates that they will save up to 1,000 plastic bottles per week.
What will the new initiative achieve?
Network Rail began the scheme earlier this year in an effort to fulfill its ambition to reduce its overall environmental impact; the company expects that an increase in the use of free drinking water fountains will reduce the volume of plastic water bottles sold in retail outlets at its stations.
Recently, the company announced plans to ban the sale of plastic cutlery and cups in all of its retail outlets by 2020, and to pursue more sustainable or biodegradable alternatives to further complement its environmental ambitions. Another element of Network Rail’s strategy is the company’s pledge to reduce its energy consumption by 18% and carbon emissions by 25% over the next five years.
How will this support the UK’s efforts to combat single-use plastics?
Network Rail’s head of performance and customer relationship for the London North Western route, Karen Hornby, said that the company’s initiative would support customers who were already aiming to make more environmentally responsible choices.
She said: “Many of us try to make a difference by carrying a refillable bottle, although our good intentions are often thwarted by the lack of public drinking water fountains. Millions of people every year use our managed stations to travel, shop and eat, so this free service will make a difference to them and the environment by reducing single-use plastics.”
The UK government has already launched a consultation on single-use plastics ahead of a possible ban, in order to facilitate a reduction in their prevalence, and Network Rail’s efforts will further generate improvements in this area.
