Hackney Council takes on single-use plastics with new water fountains at leisure centres and libraries

Six water fountains have been installed at leisure centres and libraries across Hackney as part of the council’s effort to install 26 by 2022.

The drinking stations aim to reduce the use of single-use plastics and increase resilience to rising temperatures from climate change.

Mayor Phil Glanville and environment and waste chief Cllr Jon Burke opened one of the fountains at London Fields Lido this week. The others are at Clapton Library, Homerton Library, Shoreditch Library, Clissold Leisure Centre and Hackney Marshes Centre.

These join those installed last year at CLR James Library, Mabley Green, and Hackney Marshes Pavilion, with the equivalent of 7,500 plastic bottles saved by the fountain at the CLR James Library alone since it was installed in July.

Cllr Burke said: A shocking 38.5 million single-use plastic bottles are consumed in the UK every day, producing vast amounts of waste and over 3million kg of carbon dioxide emissions. Having eliminated 225,000 single use plastic bottles from the Hackney Half Marathon and the first estate-based reverse vending machine in the country, Hackney Council is determined to do everything we can to help residents eliminate unnecessary plastics.

"The new fountains, which form part of our ambitious action to tackle the Climate Emergency, will help people fill up on the move and minimise the amount of plastic they use."