Refill H2O Challenge

Can tourists explore Slovenia without buying a single plastic bottle?

When we travel, buying bottled water often feels automatic. Even in countries with excellent drinking water infrastructure, tourists frequently purchase plastic bottles simply because they don’t know where they can refill them or whether tap water is safe to drink. Slovenia is one of those countries. With some of the cleanest drinking water in Europe and countless public refill opportunities, it seemed like the perfect place to ask a simple question:

• Can tourists explore Slovenia without buying a single plastic bottle?
• That question became the starting point of the Refill H2O Challenge?

The Challenge

The goal was not to create another sustainability campaign filled with statistics and warnings. Instead, we wanted to make sustainable behaviour visible, practical, and easy to adopt.

The project combined:

• an interactive refill station map,
• digital awareness campaigns,
• tourism partnerships,
• simple gamification elements,
• and educational content about Slovenia’s drinking water.

Visitors could discover refill locations, learn about Slovenia’s water culture, and take part in a challenge encouraging them to refill instead of purchasing bottled water.

Building the Platform

The first step was creating a digital platform that could serve as the central hub of the initiative.

The website included:

• an interactive map of refill locations,
• information about drinking water in Slovenia,
• challenge mechanics,
• sustainability-focused content,
• and promotional materials for tourism stakeholders.

At the same time, a communication strategy was developed to position refill behaviour not as a sacrifice, but as part of a smarter and more authentic travel experience.

The core campaign message became:

“Can you explore Slovenia without buying a single plastic bottle?”

Reaching Visitors

To bring the idea to life, we launched awareness campaigns across digital channels and collaborated with tourism stakeholders.

The communication focused on:

• Slovenia’s clean drinking water,
• reducing unnecessary plastic waste,
• refill culture,
• and sustainable travel habits.

The project reached visitors both before and during their travels through social media campaigns, promotional materials, and tourism-related communication channels.

The Results

The Refill H2O Challenge successfully moved from concept to reality.

During the project:

• the platform was launched,
• refill locations were promoted,
• awareness campaigns were implemented,
• and partnerships with tourism stakeholders were established.

The website attracted nearly 13,000 visitors, introducing thousands of people to the idea of refill culture and sustainable travel in Slovenia.

Perhaps even more importantly, the project demonstrated that sustainability messages can be communicated through positive experiences rather than guilt-based campaigns.

What’s Next?

Although the pilot project has officially concluded, the story is not over.

Discussions are already underway with tourism stakeholders regarding continued promotion and future development of the initiative.

The long-term vision is to expand the refill network, increase visibility among international visitors, and further position Slovenia as a destination where clean drinking water and sustainable travel naturally go hand in hand.

Because sometimes a small action—like refilling a bottle—can start a much bigger change.

Check more at https://h2orefill.si/

This project has indirectly received funding from the European Union’s COSME – SMP programme through the open call published and implemented within the ST3ER project (Grant Agreement No. 101121592). The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the project implementers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.