AN eco-initiative that will see businesses serve as refill stations to allow thirsty shoppers to fill up their water bottles for free is being launched in Falmouth.

Refill Cornwall is the brainchild of Bude resident Deb Rosser and aims to reduce the number of single use plastic water bottles being disposed of into the environment.

From December 4, local businesses will be taking part and allowing customers to fill-up their multi-use bottles from designated taps.

Those businesses involved will be clearly marked with window stickers and posters. There will also be a free app to download to show where the filling stations are.

It is estimated that, in Cornwall alone, 64m single use bottles will be used this year and, due to low recycling rates and high usage, many of these bottles will reappear littered around the county.

This threatens local wildlife through entrapment and ingestion, with the possibility of the plastic reappearing in our food chain.

Beth Robinson, the Refill Falmouth coordinator from the Falmouth Marine Conservation Group, said: “There is a real momentum building in the UK to reduce single use plastics, as evidence of the harm they can cause becomes apparent.

“It would be really great to see Falmouth businesses and residents get behind the Refill Cornwall campaign as well as raise awareness and support to our local marine conservation group.”

Having initially started in 2014 with Bude resident Deb Rosser, Refill now has 11 schemes up and down the country.

The Falmouth Marine Conservation Group will support the scheme by helping to coordinate a group of volunteers, along with aiding local charities in fundraising through the sale of Refill bottles.

To find out more about the scheme, visit refill.org.uk, or search for Refill Cornwall on Facebook.