In the long battle to discourage the use of plastic, water bottle-refill points are being introduced to Port Erin by the local authority.

Two new bottle-refill points are at the Station Road car park toilets and the lower promenade (near Cafe Delicious) plus Port Erin Commissioners are signing up to the bottle-refill scheme, in which businesses make tap water available to the public.

Several businesses are already involved in the initiative and the local authority is encouraging more to join the scheme.

Commissioners’ chairman Nick Watterson said: ’Over the past couple of years it has become widely accepted that we shouldn’t be using single-use plastics as the impact on the environment is so great. These two new bottle-refill points will make it easier for people to keep hydrated on the go without using single-use plastic water bottles, which could end up in our oceans.

’Our new water refill points are a simple but effective way to encourage locals and visitors to switch from plastic bottles to reusable ones ... they’re already proving popular and the board plans to install more in the future to benefit both thirsty locals and visitors and the environment.’

Earlier this year Unesco Biosphere Isle of Man became the licenced operator for the refill scheme in the island, which encourages shops, businesses and cafes to provide free tap water to members of the public by signing up to the scheme and displaying a blue refill sign.

The business will then appear on the official refill app, making it easy to locate while on the move and in Port Erin utilises the free wi-fi provided by Port Erin Commissioners available around the railway station.

For more details on how to sign up, visit www.gov.im/refill.