Wimbledon has upped the number of water refill points at this year’s tennis championships and introduced a new reusable cup scheme.

For the first time, spectators are able to reuse and return the same cup and can check the location of water refill points via a map on the Wimbledon app.

The initiatives have been praised by environmental campaign group City to Sea, which leads the global Refill campaign highlighting where people can find refill points in more than 20 countries.

City to Sea policy manager Steve Hynd said: “This is an admirable and important shift away from single-use plastics toward a circular refill and reuse model. From implementing a deposit return scheme for cups to mapping free drinking water on site – these are all important steps to help spectators reduce their carbon and plastic footprints.”

However, Hynd added that Wimbledon lists Evian Water as an official supplier and said he believed another water sponsor should be found if the tournament is to “declare game set and match against plastic pollution".

Wimbledon’s wider sustainability policy sets out targets including net zero emissions, becoming resource-efficient and contributing to a net gain in biodiversity all by 2030. Pledges include the introduction of water harvesting for new developments and reducing dependency on gas for hot water. The 2022 Wimbledon Championships run until Sunday July 10. Crowds of up to 42,000 people are expected each day, a return to pre-Covid capacity.

To find a water refill point wherever you are, download the Refill app.