By Vipula Wanigasekera –

A number of fast-food outlets feature beverage dispensers that allow staff to serve sugary drinks within seconds. Yet one simple question deserves attention. Where is the drinking water dispense whether free or available for purchase?. In the writer’s experience at many fast-food outlets, bottled water packaged in single-use PET bottles is often the most readily available option.

This is not merely a matter of consumer preference, it is a matter of how choices are designed. Behavioural research suggests that people are more likely to choose options that are more visible and convenient, a phenomenon often referred to as ‘choice architecture’ in behavioural economics (Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein, Nudge, 2008). Therefore making drinking water equally convenient could significantly influence healthier consumption patterns.

The issue is becoming increasingly relevant in Sri Lanka. According to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health 17.4% of Sri Lankan schoolchildren aged 13 to 17 regularly consume sugary beverages, with boys accounting for the majority of consumers. Health authorities have identified sugary drinks, together with increasingly sedentary lifestyles, as major contributors to the growing problem of childhood obesity.

Recognising these concerns, the Government recently introduced Healthy School Canteen Guidelines restricting the sale of sugary drinks, processed foods and deep-fried snacks in schools to promote healthier eating habits. The policy seeks to encourage healthier eating habits among a few million schoolchildren and reduce the future burden of non-communicable diseases. If schools are redesigning their food environments to make healthier choices easier, it is reasonable to ask whether commercial food outlets should also make drinking water just as visible and accessible.

The environmental implications are equally important. Where refill stations are not available, consumers are more likely to rely on single-use PET bottles. Although Sri Lanka has taken important steps to regulate certain single-use plastics and has discouraged the use of PET bottled water in public institutions, plastic pollution continues to threaten rivers, beaches, oceans and wildlife which according to the United Nations Environment Programme, has become one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, with single-use plastics being a significant contributor.

As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Sri Lanka has committed itself to promoting sustainable consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Reducing unnecessary plastic consumption directly supports these national commitments because plastic production, transportation and disposal all generate greenhouse gas emissions.

Installing drinking water refill stations alongside existing beverage dispensers would be a practical, low-cost intervention that would:

• reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles;
• encourage healthier hydration habits;
• improve access to free drinking water;
• support Sri Lanka’s sustainability and climate commitments and
• demonstrate corporate environmental responsibility.

Many international airports, universities and public facilities around the world have introduced drinking water refill stations as part of their sustainability initiatives. Fast-food outlets can do the same. Such an initiative is likely to require relatively modest investment while helping prevent thousands of plastic bottles from entering the waste stream each year.

This is not an argument against the soft drink or fast-food industries. They are important contributors to the economy, create employment and serve millions of customers every year. Their products will continue to have a place in the marketplace. However, as sustainability and public health become increasingly important national priorities, there must be a better balance between commercial success, consumer choice and corporate responsibility.

The ZeroPlastic Movement therefore calls upon fast-food outlets operating in Sri Lanka to introduce drinking water refill stations alongside existing beverage dispensers or separately. This simple step would provide customers with an equally convenient, healthier and more sustainable choice. Creating a healthier and more sustainable food environment does not always require expensive innovation. Sometimes it begins with a simple design decision.

Sources

Nudge – Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein

Sri Lanka Ministry of Health – 2024 Global School-based Student Health Survey findings.

Ministry of Health – Healthy School Canteen Guidelines, June 2026.

United Nations Environment Programme – Global assessments on plastic pollution.

Paris Agreement and Sri Lanka’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Soft-drinks-sedentary-lifestyles-fuel-rise-in-childhood-obesity/108-343125

WION – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdKnlOcinkM&t=35s

Mongabay https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/sri-lanka-bans-single-use-plastic-bottles-at-government-events-charges-for-plastic-bags/

*Writer is a former Diplomat, Head of Tourism Authority & SLCB, currently a lecturer in commerce, Advisor ZeroPlastic Movement, Youtuber on spirituality and Meditation teacher