Boot the Bottle says Cobh town
“If every person in Cobh chose to reuse and refill their water bottle, a dramatic collective effort could be made to help reduce unnecessary single use plastic bottles in Cobh.”
Those were the words of Ruth Ring, Vice Chairperson of Cobh Tidy Towns, as efforts to Boot the Bottle are continuing in the coastal town.
A new water refill station has been installed in Cobh and an existing tap at the promenade upgraded in an effort to reduce single use plastics as part of the Cobh Green Hub Project.
Supported by Cork County Council, the Cobh Green Hub Project is a collaboration with Cobh Tidy Towns, Cobh Zero Waste, Cobh Sustainable Communities, Cobh & Harbour Chamber and the Southern Region Waste Management Planning Office. Selected as one of six pilots nationally, the project aims to foster a community led approach to drive local activity on circular economy and climate action.
Ruth added: “We plan to raise awareness of the new water refill station to encourage the home clubs and visiting clubs to bring reusable water bottles and ‘boot’ single use bottles.”
The all-weather Stephen Ireland Astroturf pitch facilitates training and matches all year for local people, visiting school teams and athletic events. Local clubs using the facility include Cobh Wanderers, Springfield Ramblers, Cobh Ramblers, Cobh Ramblers Academy and Springfield AFC. In 2023, some 18,800 single use plastic bottles were collected at the facility.
Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Joe Carroll said: “It is great to see the council collaborating with communities to make changes on the ground. Offering alternatives to single use plastic is so important, especially in the sports and training setting where all athletes need water to hydrate. The installation of this water refill station at the Stephen Ireland Astroturf pitch should see a huge reduction in single use plastics and will encourage players to bring reusable water bottles to every training session and match.”
Frank McCall, Chairman Cobh Wanderers AFC said: “The water refill station is a great addition to the club, that will be utilised by all who use our astro facility. It was a pleasure working with both the council and Tidy Towns, working together to get the Refill service up and running.”
Through the Green Hub project, many businesses demonstrated their commitment to the circular economy by availing of a site visit facilitated by Cork County Council. This included a review of waste practices to help identify ways to reduce waste, improve waste segregation and minimise contamination. Local businesses were provided with bin signage from mywaste.ie to help educate staff and customers on which items go in each bin, ensuring consistent signage locally.