Around 2 million revellers are expect to descend on west London for the Notting Hill Carnival this August Bank Holiday.
The two-day festival will see steel bands, colourful floats and energetic dancers dominating one of London’s most famous postcodes.
However, the sheer number of people that flock to it means it is also a magnet for plastic waste.
Last year's event saw more than 300 tonnes of waste cleared from the streets of Notting Hill, a large proportion of which consisted of single-use plastic bottles, according to Kensington and Chelsea Council.
In a bid to reduce the number of bottles being thrown away this year, organisers have joined forces with Thames Water to give attendees somewhere to fill up reusable vessels.
With temperatures set to soar as high as 30C this bank holiday, the initiative is likely to be a welcome addition to both party goers and the planet.
Announcing the collaboration on Twitter, Notting Hill Carnival wrote: “It’s expected to be hotter than hot for Carnival…bring and leave with refillable bottles and reduce #PointlessPlastic whilst staying hydrated with @thameswater. Look for the drinking fountains and stay cool!”
Thames Water added: “This #BankHolidayWeekend, we’ll help reduce pointless plastic waste at #NottingHillCarnival. Coming to the event? Bring a reusable bottle and you can top up with our world-class tap water – for free!”
A map provided by the event’s organisers, shows the free water fountains will be positioned at two locations at the the heart of the celebrations.
A line-up of five refill stations will be located at Alderson Street and Kensington Park Road.
Attendees will also be able to refill their water bottles at selected local Notting Hill cafés and restaurants.
As part of its commitment to become more sustainable and reduce its environmental footprint, the event is also working with food traders by encouraging them to use take-away packaging that is biodegradable, recyclable or compostable. Local councils will also be collecting food waste for the second year in a row.
For the first time this year, there will also be a number of composting toilets that have been especially produced for Notting Hill Carnival.
