How to Get Free Water Refills in the UK with the Refill App

Here's how the award-winning Refill campaign can keep you hydrated as well as reduce the harmful tide of plastic waste

We all know how expensive it can be to purchase drinks while you are out and about, and with the cost of drinks forever increasing, having a thirst can turn a cheap day out into a far more expensive adventure!

Luckily, a free app can help you find the nearest refill station, where you can refill your water bottle for free or even receive discounts on other drinks by reusing or bringing your own cup or bottle.

The Refill app is a free mobile application designed to help users find places to eat, drink, and shop while reducing their contribution to plastic waste.

With over 330,000 refill stations worldwide, it empowers users to make environmentally conscious choices effortlessly.

Whether grabbing a coffee on your commute or filling up your water bottle, the app provides a simple solution to reduce reliance on single-use plastics.

For those trying to keep their budget in check, it helps reduce their expenditure, too! 

The Key Features of the Refill App

• Free Water Refills: Find nearby stations that offer free water refills, helping you stay hydrated without purchasing bottled water, wherever you are in the world. You'll likely find free water refill points at one of the global network's locations, whether you're in London, New York, or Rome. Just hand over your reusable water bottle, and they'll refill it for you.
  

• Coffee on the Move: Discover cafes and shops that offer discounts to customers who bring their own cups for cold drinks, hot drinks and even food.
  

• Lunch on the Go: Find eateries that participate in the refill scheme and allow you to bring your own lunchbox for takeout. This minimises packaging waste and gets you a small discount as well.
  

• Plastic-Free Shopping: Use the app to identify stores that support refillable options, reduce unnecessary packaging, and reduce the usage of plastic water bottles, which can have a significant environmental impact.

Your local free tap water scheme Refill stations are shown on the free Refill app, and in my location, which isn't a major city, I'm offered free tap water refills at Costa Coffee, McDonald's, Brewers Fayre, Premier Inn, Starbucks, Caffe Nero, Bill's, Dunelm, Asda, Beefeater, Holland & Barrett, Nando's, Morrisons, (both instore and at their petrol station), a local health centre, a leisure centre as well as a network of high street retailers, coffee shops and cafes who a have offered themselves as a refill point.

Look for the Refill window signs, which indicate that the business is participating in the Refill scheme.

You may find a business offering you a discount as a reward for bringing your own cup. For example, Morrisons offers a 25p discount in their cafes when you bring your own cup for your coffee. Caffè Nero offers a bonus stamp on your Caffè Nero app when you bring your own reusable coffee cup. 

Refill Schemes are crucial to the campaign, and Refill is working closely with over 24 individual boroughs (and counting) to be the agent for change by empowering their local communities to take action against single-use plastics.

They currently have 34 Refill Schemes in Greater London, and are working with 15 councils across the capital. There are over 5,000 refill stations across the capital, where people can refill. You can find them all on the Refill app or look out for the iconic Refill window sticker while out and about.

In 2019, Thames Water opened its first water fountains in partnership with the Mayor of London. After a pilot of the Refill London scheme, they’ve installed over 100 fountains across London’s boroughs.

These simple-to-use fountains enable thirsty Londoners and visitors to refill their own reusable bottles with free, high-quality tap water, thereby reducing plastic waste.

Data collected from smart meters show that the fountains currently dispense up to 441 litres per week, the equivalent of nearly 900 500ml single-use plastic bottles.

If you're a business offering water refills, you can list your location on the app for free. This offers a great service to your local community, increases footfall to your business, and helps build brand recognition, which may well bring in new customers.

You don't have to be a food business to participate in the Refill campaign; every type of business is welcome to take part and become a local refill station.

The scheme is international, so even if you're on holiday, you can use the app to find free refills. Just be aware of any water drinking restrictions before drinking tap water.

You can download the app from the Refill website for free and find your nearest refill point to help reduce plastic pollution and save money on costly drinks while out and about.

Additionally, consider the Water-Map app, which displays the locations of local water fountains, cafes, and restaurants worldwide that offer free water and refills. I've found this pretty helpful. I had no idea where the nearest local water fountain was to my home, and I was surprised to see five within a one-mile radius, which was news to me!