Who needs a plastic bottle?

The District Docklands has recently unveiled two “O fountains” to help reduce the 118,000 tonnes of plastic drink bottles purchased in Australia each year.

As part of the centre’s $150 million redevelopment, and in collaboration with Wonderment Walk Victoria and the O Initiative, Melbourne-based artist Lisa Roet was commissioned to create the fountains.

The centre hopes that visitors will be encouraged to refill their water bottles rather than purchase unnecessary one-use plastic.

“O initiative” founder, Gretha Oost, believes that such art initiatives can play a vital role in changing the way Australian’s think about public water fountains and help reduce the one million disposable plastic bottles that end up in landfill and our oceans in Australia, every day.

“Each fountain serves as a focal point in the public spaces where they are located, and can create a sense of community,” Ms Oost said. “From basic watering holes to opulent Renaissance city fountains, right through to modern day water coolers, water sources have always played an integral part of public meeting places.”

Using primates as inspiration for her two O fountains creations, Ms Roet conducted extensive research at major zoos and field studies in the Borneo forests before coming up with her designs.