The acquisition included City to Sea’s Refill Return app and website – tools which support towns, cities, universities and visitor attractions to implement reusable packaging schemes.
Will Ghali, CEO at Ecosurety, commented on the acquisition: “We’re proud to build on City to Sea’s pioneering work in the refill and reuse space.
“The acquisition of their Refill Return platform strengthens our ability to develop scalable packaging reuse systems.
“We are excited to accelerate the shift from single-use to reuse, which brings Ecosurety a step closer to fulfilling our mission of ridding the world of unnecessary packaging.”
City to Sea closure
City to Sea announced that it was closing after ten years of operations in September 2025, stating that while recent years have seen “tangible shifts” towards reuse, economic pressures and the scarcity of grant funding have left its non-profit model unsustainable.
Jane Martin, CEO at City to Sea, added: “We’re delighted that Ecosurety will continue the journey we started.
“Their expertise in compliance and data, combined with our legacy of advocacy, behaviour change and community engagement, creates a powerful platform for change.
“We look forward to seeing these assets thrive in their new home.”
As City to Sea announced the closure, it delivered a final message: “the fight to end plastic pollution is far from over”.
Refill Return app
City to Sea launched its Refill app in 2016, which has since been downloaded over 750,000 times.
The app lists more than 370,000 Refill Stations globally, helping consumers access free tap water refills and other reuse points, and is estimated to have prevented around 100 million single-use plastic bottles from entering the waste stream each year.
The packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) compliance business will integrate the platform into its broader reuse strategy, to ensure that City to Sea’s work continues to drive change.
Robbie Staniforth, Innovation and Policy Director at Ecosurety, said: “We’ve worked closely with City to Sea for many years, united by our shared commitment to sustainability and innovation.
“Their values have always aligned closely with ours, and when alerted to their potential closing, we worked together to secure a legacy for the brilliant assets they have created over the past decade.
“We’re determined to ensure their pioneering work in reuse and refill continues to make a lasting impact.”
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