Highland Spring’s recycled bottle

Water brand Highland Spring is to trial the use of 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles to help cut ocean pollution.

The move, which the brand believes is a first for the UK bottled water market, will begin with the June launch of a 500ml “eco bottle” in selected Tesco stores in Scotland, followed by Sainsbury’s stores in England.

The bottle will be clearly labelled to differentiate it from other plastic bottles and consumers will be invited to give feedback online or in stores to gauge their perception of recycled plastics and reactions to a 100 per cent recycled container.

Highland Spring chief executive Les Montgomery said: “This is a significant step that is part of a longer-term road map 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.”

Earlier this year the Co-op supermarket announced plans to switch all of its ownbrand water to 50 per cent recycled plastic bottles, but said it expected the move would present an “ethical dilemma” to customers.

The new bottles will have a cloudier and greyer appearance than those that do not contain recycled plastic and the Co-op said they could test shoppers’ environmentally conscious credentials.