Community
27 December, 2021
Water Map initiative to boost end of single-use plastics in The Far North
Keeping hydrated when you visit Cairns or Douglas Shire just got easier, thanks to a map of local water refill locations where you can refill your drink bottle.
Just in time for summer, the Water Map is an initiative of the Plastic Free Cairns & Douglas Program run by the Boomerang Alliance, a not-for-profit waste organisation.
The network shows where water refill stations for Bring Your Own (BYO) reusable water bottles are located and includes participating local businesses and Council refill points. Queensland recently banned certain single-use plastic items, such as straws, cutlery, plates, bowls, polystyrene (foam) cups and containers. The state has considered future products for bans, but single-use plastic water bottles are far from ever being banned.
Coordinator of Plastic Free Cairns and Douglas Helen Reilly said water bottles are especially damaging.
“It’s one of the most problematic items of single-use plastic,” she said.
“They are littered often, and even when recycled, they can only be recycled a few times before the plastic is too degraded, and the plastic lids and neck rings just don’t get recycled. “By providing infrastructure to refill your own reusable water bottle, we can effectively eliminate the need for these bottles at all.”
Many businesses have already joined Plastic Free Cairns and Douglas. The program works with them to eliminate essential single-use plastic items to reduce and use reusable or compostable alternatives.
Now, the program is calling for more local businesses to help save the Reef by joining the water network. A water refill station may be filtered, or sparkling water on tap, a cooler, or even tap water. Businesses can charge a small fee for refills on tap, and many also choose to do free refills to do their bit to improve the accessibility of water.
You can access and join the water bottle refill network for Cairns and Douglas Shire now at www.plasticfreecairns.org/watermap and remember to take your bottle with you next time you’re out and about, knowing this small action is helping to save our Reef.
