The initiative, a partnership between Refill Co, Bluewater and Consol and the first of its kind on the Sunshine Tour, saw 32 852 litres of purified drinking water served on the course between 25 November and 1 December, which is the equivalent of approximately 65 704 plastic water bottles.

Last week, the temperatures and humidity reached extraordinary levels at Leopard Creek, so much so that the organisers allowed players to wear shorts during competitive rounds for the first time in the 47-year history of the European Tour.

All of Refill Co’s systems delivered purified water that is safe to drink and that was drawn from the Crocodile River, making this a truly sustainable water solution.

James Steere, Director of Refill Co, says: “It’s now undeniable, the plastic waste environmental crisis is upon us. Every year, enough plastic bottles are sold around the world to make a pile almost as high as Table Mountain. The majority of this plastic is not recycled and too much of it gets into our oceans, rivers and open spaces.

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“The organisers of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Championship took a leadership role in the South African golfing community by deciding to actively reduce the amount of single-use plastic from bottled water at the event.

This was a bold decision and is an example that needed to be set here in SA and around the world. With the experience and backing of our African brand partner Bluewater, our mission is to reduce single-use plastic water bottles while ensuring safe, great tasting drinking water for everyone, everywhere.”

Refill Co is a South African company that’s helping people, organisations and events switch from bottled water to refill water. Over the last 12 months, they have delivered refill water solutions at over 50 events in many challenging environments.

With a pedigree of working with large sporting events such as the Volvo Ocean Race, the Open Championship and the Cape Town Marathon, Bluewater is both a world-leading water products company as well as a champion in the global fight against single-use plastics.

Bluewater’s brand partnership with Refill Co’s event solutions is an example of local innovations finding international recognition and support to combat single-use plastic bottles that are increasingly seen as ‘ocean enemy number one’.