Bottle Up Eco Water

The BottleUp EcoWater project involved promoting alternatives to single-use plastic bottles, including the use of reusable bottles and the installation of water refill stations. The aim of the initiative was to combat plastic pollution in Cyprus and then roll it out to other tourist islands in the Mediterranean and, if conditions allowed, globally. It was based on a diagnosis, stakeholder engagement, technical development of water points, project management and the development of a sustainable plan.

Main results:

Diagnosis: report on the legal framework and consumer practices, highlighting the difficulties in reducing plastic.
Stakeholder engagement: mobilisation of nine NGOs and the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment to promote the water station map.
Technical development: creation of a ‘sustainable water’ badge and a GIS map listing 74 stations, promoted online and by partner NGOs.
Sustainability plan: implementation of a membership system, service fees for businesses, volunteer network, geographical expansion and certification for committed businesses.
Impact and monitoring: use of stations not quantified, but the map facilitates access to refill points.
Collaborations: partnerships with other NGOs for awareness-raising and clean-ups.

Updated on 31/10/2025