AWARD YEAR
2023
CATEGORY
Community
GOALS
Clean Water & Sanitation, Responsible Consumption & Production, Sustainable Tourism
KEYWORDS
plastic bottle, responsible tourism, sustainable tourism, drinking water, Campaign
COUNTRY
Italy
DESIGNED BY
VeniceTapWater
WEBSITE
https://www.venicetapwater.com
VeniceTapWater
Encouraging sustainable tourism
How does it work?
VeniceTapWater is a campaign encouraging tourists to drink water from fountains and taps instead of buying plastic bottles.
Also, water distribution company Veritas has developed a mobile app to help tourists locate places to fill up their water bottles. It maps all of the fountains in Venice and by activating your GPS, you can find a route to the closest one.
Why is it needed?
In 2019, 5.5 million people visited the city which has a population of just 50,000. Depending on the season, tourism is responsible for up to 40 per cent of waste production the city council tells AFP. Preventing pollution is of key importance in a city like Venice that is especially vulnerable to the impact of climate change.
How does it improve life?
Water fountains are easy to find with 126 spread throughout the city. There’s one around every 100 metres.