Manchester City Council is working in partnership with City to Sea and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, to drastically reduce single-use plastics in our city-region and make Greater Manchester a Refill destination – where everyone can choose to shop, eat and drink without the pointless plastic.
The Refill Campaign
Refill is a City to Sea award-winning behaviour-change campaign to help people live with less waste. The free Refill app maps the places in your local area where you can fill your water bottle for free, buy a coffee in a refillable cup or buy takeaway food in your own containers. Anyone can download the free app to find local refill stations near them - http://www.refill.org.uk/
Refill Communities
To support our work City to Sea is inviting local Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprises (VCFSE) groups and organisations in Greater Manchester to become a Refill Community in your locality.
Refill Communities are an amazing group of individuals who are committed to taking action and powering the #RefillRevolution in their local area. Your Refill Community may be led by your organisation or could be a project for your volunteers or beneficiaries. As a Refill Community you will help to increase awareness of Refill where you live, work, and amongst your friends and families.
What does a Refill Community Do?
Community-based Refill Schemes have put thousands of Refill Stations on the map, working in their local community and helping to stop millions of plastic bottles at source.
As a Refill Community you would commit to one or more of the following:
- Signing-up local shops, businesses, and community buildings as Refill Stations. This means they are listed on the Refill app and have Refill stickers in their shop windows so people know they can refill there.
- Tell people about the campaign, so they know to use the app to find locations to refill and how to live with less plastic.
- Spread the word about your campaign by setting up a social media presence, organising action days, engaging with the local community and businesses, and contacting local media. City to Sea provide guidance, templates, and training on how to do this.
In return City to Sea can offer:
- City to Sea provide Refill Communities with an extensive set of resources and tools to enable you to deliver the Refill campaign in your area. This includes:
- Full support of City to Sea’s Community Co-ordinator throughout your Refill journey.
- Free online seminar training sessions
- Access to the Refill Communities or Destinations Hub
- Access to the Refill brand and marketing materials including social media assets, posters, and postcards.
- A launch pack including a Schemes Guide and Social Media Guide
- Monthly newsletter
- Window stickers
- Press guidance and PR template and training.
- Opportunity to work with City to Sea on wider campaigns, political advocacy work
“80% of Refill Schemes say supporting Refill has enabled them to make a difference in their community and deliver a positive environmental impact.”
Next steps
Find out what it means to be a Refill Community at City to Sea’s, no obligation information session on 15 May 2024 at 12pm register here
If you cannot make the live session, register and you will be sent a link to the recording.
Alternatively, you can fill out the expression of interest form here and City to Sea will be in touch.
For further information on the Manchester scheme please email the Zero Carbon Team at [email protected]