The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Recycled bottle trial raises eco credentials of Highland Spring
Environment: Perthshire bottled water group looking at ways to reduce its reliance on plastics
Perthshire drinking water group Highland Spring is trialling 100% recycled plastic bottles for the first time.
The Blackford firm, the number one water brand in the UK and responsible for around one in every six bottles of plain packaged water consumed in Britain, said its trial was the first of its kind in the water sector and the results would inform its future strategy towards eliminating plastic waste.
The 500ml eco bottle produced for the trial is sourced from Europe and made of 100% recycled plastic, although the cap and the wrap label are not.
However, all three elements of the bottle are capable of being recycled for future re-use.
The bottles will be on sale in selected Scottish Tesco stores from June 13 and in some Sainsbury’s stores in England from July 4, and consumers are being urged to provide feedback. They will also be distributed at the forthcoming Queen’s Club tennis tournament, the precursor to Wimbledon.
Highland Spring is a major consumer of plastics and the trial – which comes at a time when there is a heightened focus on plastic waste and increasing calls for single-use plastics to be banned – is part of a wider ambition by the group to use at least 50% recycled plastics in its products by 2022.
In April, Highland Spring signed up to the UK Plastics Pact which is designed to transform the plastics packaging system in the UK and keep plastics in the circular economy and out of the ocean.
Highland Spring chief executive Les Montgomery said: “Plastic is a valuable resource that shouldn’t be treated as waste and we encourage everyone to get involved in this trial.
“Tell us what you think of the eco bottle and then recycle it afterwards to help keep the circle of recycled plastics going.
“This is a significant step that is part of a longer-term roadmap to eliminating plastic waste as more and more consumers recycle their plastic bottles and we can source recycled plastic in the quantities and quality we need.”
Highland Spring Group, which was founded in 1979, produced 552 million litres of bottled water last year.
ghuband@thecourier.co.uk