Wimbledon 2023 has partnered with evian to piloting its first refillable water system, allowing players to refill water at dispensers on court and in backstage areas.
Players will receive reusable bottles they can fill with evian water, allowing then to ditch single-use bottles during the tournament.
The All England Club’s chief executive, Sally Bolton, said: “Wimbledon remains firmly committed to becoming environment-positive by 2030. We continue to make improvements year-on-year to reach this ambition.
Throughout, we have been working together with evian to evolve and move towards delivering evian water in the most sustainable way.”
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The dispensers on-court will be positioned under the umpire chair, allowing players to refill their bottles themselves. Ball boys and girls will also be able to assist.
Attendees are still able to purchase bottles of water, but evian has stated that the bottles will be made from 100% recycled plastic. A 33cl recyclable aluminium can of evian sparkling water is also available.
“Showcasing a reuse and refill model to reduce single-use plastics on one of the world’s most viewed sporting arenas is a great way to make refill the default option, and an active part of our everyday habits,” commented Jen Emerton, head of account management at WRAP.
“Providing reusable bottles and refill facilities and using bottles in future tournaments will significantly cut the number used by players. This is a great step forward by a UK Plastics Pact member, and we hope to see this idea expanded across the entire tournament at future Wimbledon.”
