Concerns over the health risks posed by refill facilities are unfounded says the organisation behind the award-winning Refill campaign.
There have been no cases of COVID-19 being transmitted through food or food packaging, points out City to Sea, and over 120 health scientists have said that reusables are safe as long as basic hygiene rules are followed.
With big players like Costa Coffee and Starbucks accepting reusable coffee cups, there’s no reason for people not to carry on – or to start – choosing refill options.
For the benefit of both providers and users of its Refill Stations, City to Sea has issued guidance on hygiene, which includes: flushing any stale water from the system if the tap used for refills hasn’t been used for a while; making sure that bottles being filled never touch the tap or jug used to fill them; and asking customers to remove lids themselves from bottles they want filled.
The refill hygiene advice also reminds Refill Station providers that they can refuse to fill any bottle that smells bad or looks unclean.
