ape2o is on a mission to rid the world of single use plastic bottles by building a more attractive, efficient, and affordable system of pure bottled water on-the-go. Through a 360° solution — combining ultra-purified water dispensers, reusable stainless-steel bottles, and donating 10% of all their sales to ocean and marine conservation projects — ape2o is disrupting the bottled water industry while encouraging a shift to refill and reuse. We caught up with ape2o Co-Founder Laura Totten to find out more about their CCAS Award win.
Driving refill culture in the City
At the heart of ape2o’s initiative is its network of ultra-purified water dispensers called Big Apes, which provide chilled still and sparkling water on the go. The company has partnered with LandSec at two key City of London locations — New Street Square and One New Change — who sponsor the machines so they are free at point of use to the customer. Through this partnership, their dispensers are helping City workers and visitors avoid unnecessary plastic use by providing free refills of purified water.
In 2023/2024 alone, the Big Apes were used more than 115,000 times, preventing over 115,000 plastic bottles from entering the waste stream. That equates to a savings of 9.3 tonnes of crude oil and 5.8 tonnes of CO₂ which would have gone into making single use plastic bottles which have been avoided due to enabling refill of existing bottles — a measurable environmental impact made through simple, daily behaviour change.
“Giving people a better alternative to buying another plastic water bottle means we prevent plastic bottles from littering our City, polluting the Thames, and putting pressure on our waste systems.”
The Value of Being a CCAS Member and Award Winner
In 2024/25 ape2o was awarded the Innovator Award in the Plastic Free City category — a recognition they describe as both an honour and a valuable platform.
“Being able to tell people we've won this Award is a great starting point. It’s helped raise our visibility in the City, especially as we look to expand our footprint.” Laura Totten, ape2o Co-Founder
As a social impact business, ape2o sees the Clean City Awards Scheme as a valuable part of its journey toward scaling sustainable change. The community has helped connect them with likeminded organisations that are also working to protect and enhance the City of London’s environmental future.
ape2o Co-Founder, Laura Totten: “Being part of the prestigious CCAS community will help us grow our partnerships and impact in the City. We would absolutely recommend other businesses in the Square Mile join the CCAS as a member! It’s been a great way for us to learn more about the Square Mile’s sustainability initiatives and connect with other leaders in the community who are working not only on their own goals, but also want to promote and protect the environment for all communities in the Square Mile.
If you’re considering applying for an award, go for it! Think about all the various ways your business delivers on the promise of the specific category you are applying for, and then translate those results so you can clearly quantify your impact.”
Find out more at ape2o.com and @ape2o on social media.
Want to share your story or find out more about joining the Clean City Awards Scheme? Get in touch with us at CCAS@cityoflondon.gov.uk
One of ape2o’s Big Ape machines