City to Sea
City to Sea is a UK-registered non-profit environmental organization founded in 2014, operating the Refill App (30,000+ stations worldwide), the Rethink Periods schools education programme (600 schools, 211,000 students), and campaigns including Plastic-Free Periods, World Refill Day, and Cut the Cutlery to stop plastic pollution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What City to Sea does
City to Sea is a UK-registered non-profit environmental organization founded in 2014 by Natalie Fée and headquartered in Bristol, operating as both a Community Interest Company (CIC 09948596) and Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO 1197989). Its stated mission is to stop plastic pollution through people-powered, community-serving campaigns. The organization's core product is the Refill App, a free mobile application (available on iOS and Android) that maps 30,000+ refill stations worldwide, enabling users to find places to refill water bottles, coffee cups, and other reusable containers. It also operates the award-winning Rethink Periods schools education programme (delivered to 600 schools, training 1,500 teachers and school nurses, and reaching 211,000 students) and runs recurring campaigns including Plastic-Free Periods, World Refill Day, Plastic-Free July, Cut the Cutlery, Chew Plants Not Plastic, and GENeration ReuZe. The organization also produces research reports such as the Plastic Rivers Report (with Earthwatch Europe) and Food-to-Go Report (with Eunomia).
The business model is diversified across four revenue streams: individual donations from a base of 500,000+ everyday activists, corporate partnerships and sponsorship (with brands including M&S, Ecover, Georganics, Natracare, Baba+Boo, Circular&Co., and Reposit), grant funding (notably Big Give's Green Match Fund), and emerging Refill App data services for refill station operators. The Refill App and education programmes are provided free to end users, with a freemium pricing model for consumers. The organization reaches individuals via digital channels (website, social media, email newsletter) and schools via direct engagement, while policy advocacy targets local and national government. Strategic partnerships extend across corporate co-marketing (M&S, Georganics, Natracare, Nuud Gum), technology (Unfold), returnable packaging platforms (Reposit, Circular&Co.), and advocacy coalitions (Greenpeace, 38 Degrees, ReLondon, Everyday Plastic, Youth Environmental Service). Recent activity includes the 2024 partnership cluster with Unfold, Reposit, and Circular&Co., and 2025 campaign launches (Chew Plants Not Plastic in February, GENeration ReuZe in April), alongside legal proceedings against the Environment Agency over microplastics in sewage sludge.
City to Sea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- City to Sea
- Legal name
- City to Sea
- Website
- https://citytosea.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- City to Sea is a UK-registered non-profit environmental organization founded in 2014, operating the Refill App (30,000+ stations worldwide), the Rethink Periods schools education programme (600 schools, 211,000 students), and campaigns including Plastic-Free Periods, World Refill Day, and Cut the Cutlery to stop plastic pollution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
City to Sea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Conservation Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pollution Prevention, Chemicals & Waste (incl. Plastics) (BPADALAJ)
Keywords
Where City to Sea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
City to Sea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Individual Giving: Receives donations from individual supporters who contribute to campaigns. Sources indicate supporters have stepped up with record donations during challenging periods.
- Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Generates revenue through long-term partnership development with brands and businesses aligned with environmental mission. Business Development Manager focuses on securing revenue streams.
- Grant Funding: Receives support from foundations including Big Give's Green Match Fund for specific campaigns like GENeration ReuZe.
- Refill App Services: App data services for refill station operators to access information about users who wish to use their stations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free access for individuals |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
City to Sea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
City to Sea is a UK environmental nonprofit that runs community-led campaigns and digital tools to stop plastic pollution. Its core offerings include the Refill App (a free mobile platform mapping 30,000+ refill stations worldwide), the award-winning Rethink Periods schools education programme for Key Stage 2 and 3, signature annual campaigns such as World Refill Day and Plastic-Free July, and policy advocacy initiatives like Cut the Cutlery and Chew Plants Not Plastic. The organisation combines individual behaviour-change tools, school education, corporate partnership programmes, and research outputs to address single-use plastic across consumer, retail and policy channels.
Product overview
City to Sea operates as a campaign-focused environmental organisation rather than a traditional software company. Its primary product is the Refill App, a mobile application that helps users find refill stations for reusable containers. The organisation runs multiple interconnected campaigns including the Plastic-Free Periods initiative (which includes the Rethink Periods schools education programme), World Refill Day annual events, and the Refill Return Cup scheme. City to Sea also produces research reports and resources on plastic pollution. The products work together to create a comprehensive approach to reducing single-use plastic through consumer tools, education, policy advocacy, and research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Refill App Free mobile application that helps users find nearby refill stations for water bottles, coffee cups and other reusable containers. Connects thirsty people to 30,000+ refill stations worldwide to reduce single-use plastic consumption.
Companies that use City to Sea
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
City to Sea technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
City to Sea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Youth Environmental Service (YES)corePartnership with YES to launch GENeration ReuZe campaign, empowering young voices for a greener future. Supported by Big Give's Green Match Fund.
- Circular&Co.corePioneers of circular design. Partnership to reduce waste and tackle single-use coffee cups through reuse models. Joint creation of blueprint guides for cup schemes.
- RepositcorePioneers of returnable packaging platforms. City to Sea collaborated with Reposit on research to share key insights on making returnable packaging accessible, contributing to scaling returnable packaging initiatives.
- UnfoldcoreStrategic digital partner announced in March 2024. Unfold is described as a cutting-edge UX and technology studio. Partnership focused on advancing the Refill app and digital platforms.
- M&ScoreMajor UK retailer expanding returnable packaging range. Partnership to tackle single-use packaging through collaborative approach unlocking circular economies.
- EcovercoreHousehold brand partnering on groundbreaking initiative to tackle single-use packaging. Part of multi-stakeholder collaboration.
- GeorganicsminorOral care brand leading transition from single-use to reuse. Partnership on Green Friday campaign to make waves against plastic pollution.
- NatracareminorPlanet-friendly period product brand. Partnership supporting Plastic-Free Periods campaign and promoting sustainable period products.
- Nuud GumminorPartner in Chew Plants Not Plastic campaign to ban plastic-based chewing gum.
- RecoreCo-released The Future of Prefill report on World Refill Day, exploring prefilled returnable packaging solutions for brands and retailers.
- GreenpeacecoreJoint campaign Cut the Cutlery to tackle single-use plastic from food and drink packaging. Combined advocacy power for policy change.
- 38 DegreescoreCollaboration on petition launch for Cut the Cutlery campaign, leveraging 38 Degrees platform for supporter mobilization.
- Everyday PlasticminorJoint petition campaign calling for UK supermarkets to remove plastic packaging from five top-selling items.
- Baba+BoominorCloth nappy brand and official City to Sea partner. Donates 10% of profits from 'Wave' nappy collection to City to Sea.
- ReLondonminorCollaboration during Circular Economy Week to share learnings from reuse projects and drive behavior change for return systems.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
City to Sea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Surfers Against Sewage: UK-based marine conservation charity running people-powered campaigns against plastic pollution and for clean coastlines. Highly comparable to City to Sea in mission, community-led campaigning model, and UK geographic focus.
- Marine Conservation Society: UK charity focused on ocean health, including plastic pollution, beach cleans, and policy advocacy. Overlaps directly with City to Sea on marine plastic concerns, supporter mobilisation, and policy engagement.
- Hubbub Foundation: UK environmental charity using behaviour-change campaigns to address issues including plastic waste and reuse. Comparable to City to Sea in campaign-led, partnership-driven approach to consumer behaviour change.
- Keep Britain Tidy: UK charity tackling litter and waste, including single-use plastics, with significant public engagement and policy influence. Shares City to Sea's UK-centric plastic waste reduction mission.
- Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global nonprofit coalition working to end plastic pollution through advocacy, education, and partnerships. Directly comparable in single-use plastic focus and global campaign approach.
Broad incumbents
- Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP): Major UK-based climate NGO working across food waste, plastic packaging, and textiles with extensive government and corporate relationships. Larger, broader portfolio player but works in overlapping plastic reduction space.
- Greenpeace UK: Major environmental campaigning organisation with substantial UK plastic pollution and oceans advocacy. Comparable campaign-led, donor-supported model but at much greater scale and broader environmental remit.
- Friends of the Earth: Established UK environmental advocacy organisation active on plastics policy and corporate accountability. Overlaps on policy advocacy and grassroots mobilisation, though with broader environmental scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
City to Sea social profiles
Digital presenceCity to Sea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
City to Sea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
City to Sea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
City to Sea M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about City to Sea
What does City to Sea do?
City to Sea is a UK environmental nonprofit that runs community-led campaigns and digital tools to stop plastic pollution. Its core offerings include the Refill App (a free mobile platform mapping 30,000+ refill stations worldwide), the award-winning Rethink Periods schools education programme for Key Stage 2 and 3, signature annual campaigns such as World Refill Day and Plastic-Free July, and policy advocacy initiatives like Cut the Cutlery and Chew Plants Not Plastic. The organisation combines individual behaviour-change tools, school education, corporate partnership programmes, and research outputs to address single-use plastic across consumer, retail and policy channels.
Is City to Sea a public or private company?
City to Sea is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was City to Sea founded?
City to Sea was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is City to Sea based?
City to Sea is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does City to Sea make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Individual Giving is the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship, grant Funding and refill App Services.
Who are City to Sea's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Surfers Against Sewage, Marine Conservation Society, Hubbub Foundation, Keep Britain Tidy and Plastic Pollution Coalition. Broad incumbents are Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Greenpeace UK and Friends of the Earth.
Does City to Sea have an API?
No public API is recorded for City to Sea.
What industry is City to Sea in?
City to Sea's product category is Environmental Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation, with a secondary code of BPADALAJ, Pollution Prevention, Chemicals & Waste (incl. Plastics).