THE REFILL stations operated at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games by Severn Trent helped prevent sports fans piling up more than 700,000 single-use plastic bottles during the competition.
Severn Trent and MIW, which runs refill stations across the UK, teamed up to put 216 bottle-filling stations around the various venues, including in Birmingham, Coventry and Sandwell Aquatics Centre.
The stations were brightly coloured to catch the eyes of avid sports fans who wanted to remain hydrated during the hot weather without purchasing new drinks.
Each station tracked how many bottles were being saved to measure the progress towards the games’ sustainability target.
Statistics show 38.5million plastic bottles are bought in the UK daily, but 16million of them go to landfill, are burnt or littered. Each one takes up to 450 years to decompose once they reach the sea.
Many companies also import plastic into the UK, contributing to the 350,000tonnes of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere every year by the bottled water industry in the UK.
Alongside the hygiene measures built into the bottle-filling units, MIW implemented a strict cleaning regimen throughout the Games, putting safety alongside sustainability.
Birmingham 2022 strove to be the greenest and most sustainable Commonwealth Games held to date.
Ian Burdett, head of sales and operations at MIW, said: “We’re thrilled this exciting partnership with Severn Trent has allowed us to play our part in the sustainable legacy of the games and we hope it will be a catalyst in delivering real environmental improvements in future large-scale sporting events.”
