The first of these hydration stations popped up in 2009. Here’s our guide on where to find them. Not to fear if you’re further from Florence—there are also options in Fucecchio, Empoli, Montespertoli, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Figline and Incisa Valdarno, Pelago, Pontassieve, Dicomano, Vicchio, Scarperia San Piero, and Campi Bisenzio.
Having sipped your fill of the quality- controlled water (using a reusable bottle, of course!), you can dispose of any plastic left loitering in your bag with ‘plastic-eating’ machines, or rather, ‘eco-compactors,’ that reduce bottles into easily recyclable cubes. You can find them on the via Valfonda side of the Santa Maria Novella station, the Niccolò Galli Gardens in Campo di Marte, Fortezza da Basso, and the Coop supermarkets in Gavinana, Ponte a Greve and via Carlo del Prete.
