A new #LessIsMore water refill station is now available to hire to help local community groups hosting events adapt to the single-use plastics ban.
The attractive station reduces the need for water sold in single-use plastic bottles by ensuring community members can easily refill their water bottles.
Funded by Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers and the Local Marine Advisory Committee, Bundaberg Regional Council has thrown its support behind the concept by coordinating the hire arrangements.
The new #LessIsMore temporary water bottle refill station is free to hire for events with a $200 refundable bond through Bundaberg Regional Council.
The unit can be connected to any potable water tap to help make events more sustainable.
The refill station, which has a hygienic hands-free sensor, also collects data as it is used to estimate the number of single-use bottles prevented from going into landfill.
“The #LessIsMore project provides our community with easy alternatives that collectively make a big difference to the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef,” said project coordinator Sue Sargent.
“We’ve taught hundreds of people how to make beeswax wraps reducing the need for single-use plastics, and swapped over 140,000 plastic straws for a more sustainable paper alternative, so we were thrilled to be able to bring this opportunity to Bundaberg.”
“The Bundaberg community has embraced the project, but it’s the children that are leading the way – reminding us all to kick our plastic habit.”
Bundaberg Regional Council's Parks and Gardens portfolio spokesperson Cr Wayne Honor said the new #LessIsMore temporary water bottle refill station was a great opportunity for the Bundaberg Region community to do their bit for the environment.
“This is a wonderful idea in that you can just simply couple it up to town taps,” Cr Honor said.
“You can hire this from Council, it has a filtration system in it. It’s a maintenance free type of water station that gives pure clean water at events that may happen, whether it’s bike rides, runs, walks or park adventures.
“I was surprised it’s so easy to use, it’s just a swipe of the hand down the side of the machine and a sensor turns on the water and fill your water (then) take your hand away and it stops, and you have beautiful clean water.”
Great Barrier Reef Foundation community partnerships director Jenn Loder said the Great Barrier Reef was Australia’s unique living icon, and Australians should be proud to look after it.
“The task of saving the Reef can appear enormous, but local action projects like this demonstrate the power of community in helping to drive real change to help protect the Reef,” Ms Loder said.
The Burnett LMAC’s #LessisMore for the Great Barrier Reef project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, with support from Bundaberg Regional Council.
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