Free water at Pret to cut use of plastic

FILTERED water is being offered for free by some Pret a Manger stores to cut down on the use of plastic bottles.

All three of the sandwich chain’s vegetarian shops in London and eight regular Prets in Manchester will invite customers to refill their own bottles.

It follows a campaign by the Daily Mail for a deposit scheme for plastic bottles among other measures to rid our oceans of the plastic menace.

Pret CEO Clive Schlee said: ‘Plastic bottles are a problem. We all feel it even before we hear the shocking statistics about millions of tons ending up in our oceans each year and imagine the devastating impact this has on marine wildlife.’

Pret is among high street firms coming under pressure to reduce the use of throwaway coffee cups, which cannot be recycled with paper waste as they have a plastic lining.

Currently, Pret offers a 25p discount on hot drinks if you have a reusable cup.