City to Sea

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.

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

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

• Environmental conservation campaigns
• Plastic pollution prevention
• Refill station network
• Schools period education
• Sustainability partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Grant Funding: Receives support from foundations including Big Give's Green Match Fund for specific campaigns like GENeration ReuZe.
4. Refill App Services: App data services for refill station operators to access information about users who wish to use their stations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Youth Environmental Service (YES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2025Partnership with YES to launch GENeration ReuZe campaign, empowering young voices for a greener future. Supported by Big Give's Green Match Fund.
• Circular&Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2024Pioneers of circular design. Partnership to reduce waste and tackle single-use coffee cups through reuse models. Joint creation of blueprint guides for cup schemes.
• RepositcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2024Pioneers 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.
• UnfoldcoreTechnology or Integration · 7 March 2024Strategic 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&ScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2023Major UK retailer expanding returnable packaging range. Partnership to tackle single-use packaging through collaborative approach unlocking circular economies.
• EcovercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2023Household brand partnering on groundbreaking initiative to tackle single-use packaging. Part of multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• GeorganicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOral care brand leading transition from single-use to reuse. Partnership on Green Friday campaign to make waves against plastic pollution.
• NatracareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlanet-friendly period product brand. Partnership supporting Plastic-Free Periods campaign and promoting sustainable period products.
• Nuud GumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in Chew Plants Not Plastic campaign to ban plastic-based chewing gum.
• RecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-released The Future of Prefill report on World Refill Day, exploring prefilled returnable packaging solutions for brands and retailers.
• GreenpeacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint campaign Cut the Cutlery to tackle single-use plastic from food and drink packaging. Combined advocacy power for policy change.
• 38 DegreescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on petition launch for Cut the Cutlery campaign, leveraging 38 Degrees platform for supporter mobilization.
• Everyday PlasticminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint petition campaign calling for UK supermarkets to remove plastic packaging from five top-selling items.
• Baba+BoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCloth nappy brand and official City to Sea partner. Donates 10% of profits from 'Wave' nappy collection to City to Sea.
• ReLondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/CitytoSea_
• Facebookfacebook.com/citytosea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-to-sea
• Instagraminstagram.com/citytosea_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City to Sea