WHERE DO I FIND REFILL STATIONS?

Find Refill Stations & Join the #Refillution! 

Refill stations are expanding all over the world. Bring your durable bottle and a smile, and get yourself a water refill. Furthermore, bring your reusable cup, box and cutlery! Save money and reduce single-use plastics now.

HOW CAN I FIND REFILL STATIONS?

Refill stations can be inside bars, restaurants, hotels, shops and in public spaces (water ATM’s or public fountains). Whether you are a citizen or a tourist, look for refill window stickers or use one of the Refill Apps to find the nearest station. We recommend you to use one of the following apps (in our opinion, these apps stand out because of the scope and user-interface):

Are there no refill stations in your area? Enter a bar, restaurant or shop and just ask for a water refill (please check whether the water is save to drink). Or become a refill ambassador yourself!

FIND REFILL STATIONS IN YOUR COUNTRY

Unfortunately, there is not one single database for all refill points worldwide. With Refill Ambassadors, we want to stimulate the #Refillution. Therefore, we analysed different refill organisations/refill apps and made an overview per country.

How does it work? Click on the links below to visit the website of these organisations. Firstly, it helps to find refill points wherever you are. Both in your local neighbourhood or when travelling. Secondly, you can put your own tap on the map. Because the more refill stations, the easier it becomes to refill your bottle. 

We are working hard to keep this list up to date. Do you want to know more about the people behind these organisations? Read our “Best Practices” interviews. Are you missing a country? Please let us know.

map of countries with drinking water fountains

JOIN

We dream of a world where refilling is the norm. A world without single-use plastics. A world not addicted to consumption. But we cannot achieve this alone. We need more people to stop buying single-use plastics and other unnecesary products. Together we can change our environment.

BECOME A REFILL AMBASSADOR

  • Always carry a reusable bottle with you (your Best Bottle Forever, or BBF). Even better: carry your own reusable cup, food box and cutlery too.
  • Look out for places where you can refill your bottle. Use one of the Refill Apps or ask around at your accommodation, in restaurants and bars. Found a spot? Great! Bring your empty bottle and your smile, and start refilling. 
  • Spread the word. Inspire others to refill and bring their own bottles, cups and more. Guide people to the nearest refill station. You can even ask businesses to become a refill station. 
  • Refuse straws, plastic bags and other stuff you don’t need. Maybe you want to take it a step further and reduce more single-use plastics? Check out some useful plastic free guides.

BECOME A WATER REFILL STATION

  • Do you want to establish a water refill station in your hotel, restaurant, bar or shop? And do you have publicly accessible tap (providing safe tap water)? You can change the stream of plastic bottles at its source, starting with a single refill station. You may benefit from increased exposure as a result.
  • Make sure people know your refill station exists. Add a window sticker, create posters and tell your customers about the refill station.
  • Add your refill station to one or multiple refill apps. We recommend you to use Refill, Closca, mymizu and/or RefillMyBottle. For more details, please read our blog.
  • Take the next step: in addition to water bottles, invite customers to bring their own reusable food containers, coffee cups and jars!

SUPPORT THE PROJECT

Refill Ambassadors is a non-profit organisation. All help is appreciated! As an individual or organisation, you can support us financially or with in-kind services. For example:

  • Make graphics or videos
  • Share our updates within your network

We are happy to discuss possibilities with you. Please get in touch.

WRITE FOR US

We welcome guest writers to contribute to our platform. Please send us your proposal by mail. Videoblogs are also possible. Here are some guidelines:

  • We do not accept sponsored posts or hidden advertisements
  • The topic has to fit within our scope
  • Maximum 1 A4 page written text 
  • Personal experiences are nice to share!
  • Use your own graphics or make sure to add images without copyright  
  • Add a tiny bio/profile description 

We’ll do a content review and make small adjustments for better SEO results.

JOIN OUR TEAM

Refill Ambassadors is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We collaborate with people all over the world. We are looking for all kind of experts or beginners that share our mission, want to have fun, and dare to fail. About us.

ABOUT US

MEET THE TEAM

Hello reader! We are Roos, Félice, Madelief and Hella. Four Dutch girls from Amsterdam, in our thirties. We collaborate with several refill organisations and refill ambassadors all over the world. We work independently. 

More about us: how sustainable are we ourselves? This is an interesting question. Let’s be clear: we are no zero-waste heroes, neither ‘green angels’. The easiest thing is to bring our own cups, bottles and boxes. Furthermore we try to be aware of our own footprint and make choices that work for us. For example we all love vegan food, though we must admit Madelief is the most creative DIY chef. Roos loves cycling, and even crosses half the city to visit a particular bulk store. Hella makes her own furniture from waste materials, while Félice follows the latest environmental friendly developments. Most importantly, we want to keep learning, have fun and inspire others to join the #Refillution. 

WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANISATION

Refill Ambassadors is a nonprofit organisation. We work for free (a.k.a. fun) because we feel this project matters. We all have our own jobs so this project is done in our free time. The key is to keep expenses low and collect what we need. In 2019, we won the DESIGNSCAPES 1st Open Call grant (€5.000). We use this money to cover our operational costs.  

Do you like Refill Ambassadors? With your support, we can raise more awareness and build the refill movement. All help is appreciated! Our details:

Refill Ambassadors
Djambistraat 44-3
1094 BB Amsterdam
The Netherlands
info@refillambassadors.com

  • Refill Ambassadors is registered as “Stichting Refill Ambassadors”
  • KvK (Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands): 75062623 / RISN: 860126857
  • IBAN number: NL56 TRIO 0379 6870 03  BIC/SWIFT = TRIONL2U

FOLLOW US

Join the #Refillution! We share latest updates on:

GET IN TOUCH

Questions? Do you want to establish a refill point for your business? Or become a refill ambassador yourself? 

info@refillambassadors.com / +31 6 4095 3435

You are welcome to leave a comment at one of our blogs. Please have some patience, as we review all comments before it’s published (to avoid spam). No hidden ads please!

 

NEWS

DEPOSIT SYSTEM IS FAILING

Posted by Hella on  7th November 2024
Category: General
The deposit system is not working properly. One and a half year ago, we happily announced the introduction of a 15 cent deposit on all cans and plastic bottles in the Netherlands (in Dutch: statiegeld). The deposit was supposed to improve waste separation and to decrease trash.  But in reality

BEST PRACTICES: WASTE WARRIORS

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  27th May 2024
Category: Best practices
Anyone who has been to India knows that waste management is a major challenge. Especially single-use plastics are everywhere. Solving the waste crisis in the Indian Himalayan region is the goal of Waste Warriors. This non profit organisation operates in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh since 2012. What is Waste Warriers’ strategy?
With a Water-to-go bottle, you safe plastic, money and stay hydrated. In many countries I would not recommend to drink water straight from the tap, especially when you are not used to it. Unless you have this incredible reusable bottle. We took the plunge during a long trip in India.
Drinking tap water in India is not recommended in most areas. Luckily, refill stations are widespread in the subcontinent. Bring your bottle and start refilling! In this blog we explain how. 1. WATER REFILL IN INDIA WITH FILTER SYSTEMS Refilling purified and cool drinks for 5 rupies per liter When
Sustainability must be attractive and that’s what Pieter Pot is aiming for. This Dutch online supermarket offers over 500 products, everything packed in sturdy glass. You order in the app and it gets delivered at your doorstep. I quickly became interested. Read why! COOL PRODUCTS IN BEAUTIFUL GLASS JARS Some

WHERE ARE THE MOST PUBLIC FOUNTAINS?

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  7th August 2023
Category: Water fountains
Even though it’s raining in most parts of Europe, it is crucial to stay hydrated, particularly when exploring new cities during our travels. However, finding a refreshing sip of water without breaking the bank can be quite challenging in certain places, as highlighted by this study. Using data from OpenStreetMap, it
It has been two years since we wrote about RefilMe, Brazil’s first water refill app. Since then, its founders Flávia and Isabela worked really hard to improve Brazil’s refill infrastructure and refill culture. With their water machines, they already saved 783,558 bottles! What are they up to now? Read this

SWITZERLAND: REFILL PARADISE

Posted by Hella on  26th May 2023
If there is one country in the world where you really want to refill your bottle it is Switzerland. Switzerland may be expensive, but the public fountains are free. And there are thousands of them! The water tastes delicious, while some fountains have an incredibly beautiful design. Needless to say,
Staying hydrated when traveling should be a priority for many reasons. First, dehydration can worsen jet lag symptoms, such as fatigue and headaches. Drinking water before, during, and after your a long ride or flight can help combat jet lag and make the transition to a new time zone easier.

15 CENT DEPOSIT ON BOTTLES AND CANS

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  7th April 2023
Category: General
New deposit system! Since April 1st, a deposit of 15 cents is charged on all cans sold in the Netherlands. Empty cans can be handed in at about 5,000 supermarkets. There are also about 22,000 other collection points such as gas stations, NS stations and sports clubs. The measure follows

CIRCULAR PLASTICS NL

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  28th February 2023
Category: General
The ideal 2050 scenario: no landfills, no litter, minimised incineration, ownership of waste streams, legislation & harmonisation, and extended producer responsibility. It sounds fantastic, but how to get there? Circular Plastics NL tries to find an answer.  ROADMAP CIRCULAR PLASTICS Interactive Circular Plastics Roadmap – Source: ISPT.eu Together with industrial

WHAT TO DO WITH BIOBASED PLASTICS?

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  21st February 2023
Category: Single-use plastics
‘Plastic Free’, is written down a shelf full of translucent packagings. We see biobased packaging in the Ekoplaza supermarket and at festivals that are claiming to be sustainable. What is such a bioplastic tray, bag, or fork made from? And where to dispose biobased plastics after use? In this blog

ADE #PLASTICFREEPARTY

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  30th October 2022
Category: Events
Last week it was Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), a huge gathering for electronic music and its industry. With 450.000 visitors spread over 1.000 events at 200 locations, Amsterdam turned into a crazy place for five days and nights. One event was titled ADE #PlasticFreeParty. According to the organizers “the evening
Plastic recycling problems, an unpopular topic, yet something that needs to be addressed. Plastic waste may triple by 2060. Recycling is essential, but not easy. Even though nowadays many companies proudly present their recycled packaging, plastic recycling has many problems. In this blog we briefly explain you why plastic recycling

THE ZERO WASTE HIERARCHY

Posted by Hella on  10th August 2022
Category: General
We wanted to write a blog about the principle of the Zero Waste Hierarchy. But sometimes other people already have done the job in such a good way that we do not have much to add. So instead of creating our own content based on experiences and existing literature, we

FIND A WATER TAP ON GOOGLE MAPS

Posted by Hella on  27th June 2022
Good news for refill lovers in the Netherlands: you can now use Google Maps to find the nearest public water tap! For example at train stations, squares or in a national park. Just search for ‘water tap’ on Google Maps. Almost 2.000 water taps are already in the system, thanks

MICROPLASTIC-FREE COSMETICS

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  6th June 2022
Category: Plastic free tips
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, that are less than five millimeters in diameter. Unfortunately, many personal care products and clothes contain minuscule pieces of plastic. In this blog we share some basic knowledge and useful tips. WHERE DO MICROPLASTICS COME FROM? Microplastics are added in various products , such as cosmetics. But also as

REFILLING AND RECYCLING AT FESTIVALS

Posted by Félice on  18th May 2022
Category: Single-use plastics
The Netherlands is full of festivals. Each weekend, thousands of visitors enjoy a day or weekend of music and performances. What are festivals doing to avoid plastic waste? How do they recycle? Last weekend, Refill Ambassadors Félice and Hella visited the Gardens of Babylon festival, Amsterdam. 1. REUSABLE CUPS We

BIODEGRADABLE & COMPOSTABLE PLASTICS

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  21st March 2022
Category: General
Whether a material is compostable is related to its chemical structure. Thus, there are biobased plastics that are compostable, biobased plastics that are not, and also non-biobased (fossil fuel based) plastics that are compostable. Very confusing! In this blog we do our best to explain biodegradable and compostable plastics. BIODEGRADABLE
Yes, tap water in Italy is save to drink. Italy ranks fifth in Europe for tap water quality [1]. All tap water in Italy is chlorinated with the minimum required level being 0.2 mg / liter [2], or in exceptional cases there will be a non potable sign. In this blog we explain
Thirsty? The first lesson received by a visitor arriving in Mexico City, is that you cannot drink tap water. As a result, Mexico’s plastic water bottle consumption is one of the highest per capita. According to Greenpeace, only about half of the bottles are recycled and the consumer pays 5,000%

TAP WATER IN VALENCIA

Posted by Hella on  30th November 2021
Can I drink the tap water in Valencia? Yes, you can. The tap water in Valencia may have a strange taste but it is perfectly safe to drink. WHY DOES TAP WATER IN VALENCIA TASTES STRANGE? The water in Valencia is a hard water, due to the amount of calcium
Imagine a hotel with 146 double rooms. Each guest uses 6 single-use plastic pieces for breakfast. With a 80% occupancy, this leads to 512,460 individual pieces of plastic in a year. And this is just from the breakfast service of one hotel…  The example above was illustrated by Travel Without
Where do I find the nearest refill station near me? Try one of the free refill maps. Today we shed light on Refill Not Landfill (Refill the world). Refill Not Landfill is a global campaign aiming to reduce single-use plastics, in particular single-use drinking bottles. We spoke with co-founder Christian

SEASPIRACY: STOP EATING FISH NOW

Posted by Hella on  1st September 2021
Category: Single-use plastics
We have all seen images of dead sea birds with their stomachs full of straws and bottle caps. Or a turtle entangled by a plastic wrapping. According to IUCN, at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans annually. Redusing single-use plastics is not enough: the fishing
Plastic packaging is a large and growing part of our daily household waste. There are many options to reduce your daily waste. A nice way is to shop at (plastic) packaging-free stores, also called bulk stores. The food is stored in large containers and you fill your own jars or
Good news for Brazil: the first water refill initiative has started! RefilMe provides free, cold and filtered tap water. After seeing lots of plastic on beaches while traveling, sisters Flávia and Isabela wanted to make a change in their own country Brazil and they founded RefilMe. Read this blog to
Chlorine and chloramine are added to tap water to make it safe for drinking. They have no negative health impact, but they affect the taste and odor. As a result, many people buy bottled water. What a waste! With a small and cheap water filter, the chlorine taste and odor

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  31st December 2020
In a few hours we’ll welcome the year 2021… We wish you all the best for the new year and we hope we can continue the refill spirit together with you.  Perhaps you have some eco-friendly new year resolutions. Like eating more local and seasonal food. Or going on holiday

FRIENDLY REMINDER! REFILL STARTS FROM HOME

Posted by Hella on  7th November 2020
Category: General
Did you know that refill can start from home? Some parts of the world are still going through lockdowns ue to COVID-19. Wherever you are, we encourage you to stay safe at home as much as possible. But if you ever need to go out or when things get back
EARTH is known for its bottled water, coffee and tea. You might be wondering: “Bottled water? I thought Refill Ambassadors is promoting tap water.” Yes we do. But EARTH has an interesting story, which we’d like to share with you. By selling bottled water, tea and coffee, they have been

NO EXCUSE FOR SINGLE USE

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  1st October 2020
Locate your drinking water refill spot, grab a coffee in your reusable cup on your way to work and  shop without using single-use plastics. Today, Refill is launching a better version of the app and a new campaign called ‘no excuse for single use’. We are really excited about this.

CLEANUP CAMPAIGNS: HELPFUL OR HARMFUL?

Posted by Hella on  25th September 2020
Category: Single-use plastics
Last week, it was World Cleanup Day.  In total, 39.324 people took part in the Netherlands, and hundreds of thousands of people around the globe. I also assembled a small team to clean the streets and parks in my neighbourhood in Amsterdam. Within a few hours, we collected 4 big

POEM: DO NOT TRY TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD

Posted by Hella on  11th September 2020
The Coronavirus has changed some of our familiar routines. You might worry where this will lead and when it will end. But it is also an ideal time to change our habits: to develop healthy ones and let go of those that don’t serve us. Neither you nor your environment.
Refill Deutschland (Refill Germany) recently celebrated its third birthday. So far, this nationwide refill organisation has put 5.400 refill stations and public drinking fountains on the map. From the start, all team members have worked voluntary. Even more interesting: it has grown into an open community project, where everyone can

TAP WATER AT CAMINO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Posted by Hella on  21st August 2020
Is Santiago de Compostela tap water safe to drink? Yes, it’s very safe! Last month, I walked a part of the Camino del Norte (the northern Spain coastal route). We were amazed by the beautiful scenery, but also by the large number of refill stations. And the taste of tap
I have a new hobby: plogging. This means running while picking up litter. The word plogging is derived from ‘placka’ (to pick in Swedish) and jogging. We all want clean parks, streets and forests. What if we collect not just our own trash, but also our neighbours’? Be prepared, plogging
Can you get a water refill in Myanmar? Yes you can! Today we want to inform you about a promising new refill project, situated in Yangon, Myanmar. Last year, three ambitious students founded RefillMe. Starting small, dreaming big. We just met and immediately became fans. Sit back and enjoy our
In these strange weeks, we have been rather silent. Luckily we can share some positive local news with you. The Netherlands will introduce a 15 cent deposit system on all plastic bottles < 1 litre! This measure will come into effect in July 2021. We’re already looking forward to it.  
What a crazy time. A few weeks ago, we were working at the office, meeting our friends, going out and playing football. These days, most of us are (working) at home. Schools are closed. The streets are empty. Due to the coronavirus, all cafés, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands

WHY SIGN UP AS A REFILL STATION? AND HOW?

Posted by Hella on  18th February 2020
Why would you sign up as a refill station? Because it really is an effective way to tackle plastic pollution at its source. But that’s not the only reason. Please read the story of eteaket, a beautiful Tea Room and Concept Store from Edinburgh, Scotland. REFILL STATION STORY: ETEAKET FROM

NEW! REFILL ITALIA (REFILL ITALY)

Posted by Hella on  10th February 2020
Category: Refill App
Italy is Europe’s 1st country when it comes to bottled water consumption per capita and the world’s 3rd country (after Mexico and Thailand). Therefore we are extremely pleased to inform you about Europe’s latest refill program: Refill Italia (Refill Italy)! Last year, they launched in close collaboration with Refill.org.uk. What are
Have you already heard of mymizu? If not, prepare yourself for a must-read. mymizu – Japan’s first free water refill app – was launched in September 2019. The app now displays almost 200.000 refill stations around the world, with new refill points being added every day. With around 20.000 app

WATER REFILL APPS: AN INVESTIGATION

Posted by Refill Ambassadors on  31st January 2020
Category: Refill App
Going on holiday? Or looking for refill stations in your neighbourhood? Bring your durable bottle and use a refill app to find the nearest refill station. We searched in the two main app stores and found >10 different water refill apps plus some online refill platforms. How do you know
Today we focus on RESPONSible Travel Peru, a community-based tour operator (HQ in Cusco). While tourism contributes 10% of global GDP and accounts for one in 10 jobs worldwide, the industry’s use of key resources is growing equitably. Think about its generation of solid waste, including marine plastic pollution, loss of

REFILL AMBASSADORS: 2020 AMBITIONS

Posted by Hella on  6th January 2020
On behalf of the Refill Ambassadors team: happy new year! I hope you started the new decade with a bright mood and lots of water refills. In this blog I’d like to briefly reflect on the past year and share our plans for 2020 with you. But above all: thank

AMSTERDAM OPEN TAP CHALLENGE

Posted by Félice on  18th December 2019
On a beautiful sunny autumn day, refill ambassadors Hella and Félice went for an “open tap challenge” In the city center of Amsterdam: would venues open their tap for people, passengers of all kinds, just to have their water bottles filled? And so we approached cafe, boutique shop and supermarket

TAPP: IN LOVE WITH TAP WATER

Posted by Hella on  8th November 2019
Category: Tap Water, Water filters
What if tap water is potable, but not very tasty? Use a water filter! It’s almost one year ago since we tested the TAPP 2, a simple and affordable biodegradable water filter. Since then, TAPP Water has been working on the development of new products and their website. Time for a
Restoring the public fountains in Bulgaria. That’s one of the main goals of Zero Waste Sofia. Their founder, corporate communications professional Simona Stiliyanova wants to create a movement and help everyone in Bulgaria to reduce their waste, from packaging to wardrobe. And she pays special attention to public fountains. We
“Lowering the threshold to ask for a refill”. That’s the main goal of Publiek Water (translated as ‘Public Water’), a new initiative founded by 5 colleagues in Haren, the Netherlands. The team combines this national refill project with their regular job for advertising agency ‘Publiek’. We spoke with project manager

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