Over 20 new water fountains to be installed around Hackney

Over 20 new water fountains are set to be installed in Hackney’s streets, parks, libraries and leisure centres by 2022 to help reduce single-use plastics.

The programme to encourage people to switch to reusable bottles saw the first new fountains installed this summer at Dalston CLR James Library, Hackney Marshes Pavilion, and Mabley Green, where lots of plastic bottles are discarded.

More are set to come to Clapton Library, Clissold Leisure Centre, Hackney Marshes Centre, Homerton Library, London Fields Lido and Shoreditch Library Worship Street, Chatsworth Road, Narrow Way and Broadway Market over the next five months.

The council's eco chief Cllr Jon Burke said: "The UK consumes a staggering 38.5 million single-use plastic bottles every day, which produces vast amounts of waste and global warming emissions.

"Unnecessary plastic waste is a blight on our planet, with over 420 million plastic bottles ending up in landfill every year, and vast amounts in our oceans due to littering and uncontrolled waste disposal."

He called for a carbon tax on plastics.

"The plastics and fossil fuel industries are inextricably linked and highly resistant to any change that impacts upon their business model, even at the expense of the environment," he said.