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Fill up for free - is the offer from Morrisons petrol stations - if you're in need of a drink.
Petrol forecourts are now offering free water refills to encourage customers and motorists to switch from single-use plastic to refillable bottles.
The supermarket, which has branches across Kent, says 39 million single-use plastic bottles are used every day in the UK but its research and trials suggest that 18% fewer bottles are sold in petrol forecourts kiosks which offer free water refills.
Staff hope that by offering a plastic free alternative, its customers will continue to do their bit to actively help the environment.
At Morrisons petrol forecourt kiosks, customers will now be able to hand their reusable bottles to attendants who will fill them up for free, before sanitising them and returning them to the customer. The service is available at all of Morrisons 338 filling stations nationwide.
Combined with this, Morrisons has already installed over 300 stand-alone water fountains in its Food-to-Go sections inside stores for customers who want to fill their bottles on-the-go. It has been offering free water refills in all of its cafes since 2018.
Natasha Cook, Sustainability Manager at Morrisons, said: “When we listen to customers, it’s clear they want us to help them reduce the amount of single-use plastic they throw away. We know that customers often pick up a bottle of water when paying for petrol, so offering free water should be an effective way of reducing these single-use plastic bottles."
The move has been welcomed by environmental campaigners who say that plastic bottles are one of the most commonly found single-use plastic items on beaches and in oceans.
And it is not the first move the supermarket has made this year in attempts to generate less waste and be more environmentally conscious. It is trialling the use of glass milk bottles in a number of its stores as part of efforts to cut down on the number of plastic bottles used as well as the miles supermarket milk deliveries travel.
Other moves include the first supermarket to ditch plastic carrier bags in favour of paper carrier bags, using traditional paper bags for loose fruit and vegetables, plus introducing a refillable container service on fish, meat and deli counters to reduce single-use packaging.
