Aylesbury commuter railway station introduces new water refill hub to reduce single-use plastics

A refill hub has been added to London Marylebone station to discourage passengers from using single-use plastic bottles on their journeys.

Sustainable water company, ape2o, announced the new refill station had been brought into the busy London commuter site yesterday (30 July).

Nathan Sobers, regional manager at Chiltern Railways, said: “We are delighted to partner with ape2o to bring their innovative water refill stations to Marylebone Station. Encouraging environmentally friendly practices among our customers fits in perfectly with our 2030 vision which places sustainability at the top of its agenda.”

Ape2o calls its stations, Big Apes, and this is the first of its hubs to be added to a large London transport station.

At its water stations customers can choose between chilled still or sparkling water at a lower price than retail stores surrounding the platforms.

Data provided by the business states that less than 10% of single-use plastic bottles are recycled, the majority ending their journey in our oceans or landfills, or being incinerated, contributing to over a quarter of a million tonnes of CO2e emissions annually.

Ape2o founder, Anthony Newman added: “We’re extremely proud to partner with Chiltern Railways at their flagship Marylebone station as the first station of many across their network where ape2o can help their customers refill and ditch the plastic.”

A company spokesperson also stated the business is hoping to build more refill stations throughout the Chiltern Railways network.