Scotland prevents use of 20 million plastic bottles via public water network

Scottish Water has successfully implemented a national network of 132 public drinking water fountains across Scotland, a project known as ‘Top Up Taps’. Since its gradual rollout began in 2018, the initiative has prevented the use of approximately 20 million single-use plastic bottles.

The hydration stations are located in high-traffic areas, including urban parks, busy streets, and ports, stretching from the Shetland Islands to Portpatrick. These modern blue structures are connected directly to the main high-purity water supply, allowing citizens and tourists to refill reusable containers free of charge.

The system includes integrated digital tracking technology that monitors water volume in real time and calculates the environmental impact by estimating the amount of plastic waste prevented. The success of this model has drawn interest from other European administrations looking to replicate the urban supply system.