London mayor calls for free drinking fountains to reduce plastic bottle use

LONDON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on Monday for free drinking water points across the capital to reduce the number of plastic bottles and paper cups being used.

His idea could see drinking fountains in busy areas similar to one in the famous Trafalgar Square which dispenses free water.

Drinking fountains are available on land controlled by the Greater London Authority, such as Trafalgar Square, and free drinking water is available to the public at City Hall.

Fountains are proposed for parks and key areas as part of a blueprint plan for London.

Drinking fountains used to be prominent features in towns and cities across Britain, but the number has dwindled greatly.

A recent poll by the campaign group Keep Britain Tidy found that only seven percent of people said they drank from water fountains or public taps. More than half of those quizzed expressed concern about the cleanliness of public water taps, fountains and dispensers.

A spokesperson for Khan told Xinhua: "The Mayor wants to see a reduction in the amount of single-use plastic bottles and cups across the capital and has asked City Hall officers to examine the feasibility of a pilot community water refill scheme or other interventions."

"In the meantime, officers continue to work with stakeholders including the London Waste and Recycling Board on reducing the use of plastic bottles. Sadiq would like London's businesses to make their tap water freely available to Londoners and he has written to government to discuss the possibility of trialling a (bottle) deposit return scheme in the capital as well as other measures."

In the draft London environment strategy, the mayor has stated his support for campaigns and initiatives to reduce single-use packaging, and calls on businesses to offer incentives to their customers to use their own reusable drink cups and water bottles. Enditem