Boss says bottled water is being demonised

THE LARGEST family-owned bottled water firm in Britain has warned the Government that the industry is being “demonised” amid the battle to curb the use of plastic.

Senior executives from Harrogate Water have claimed that the debate has become a one-sided argument against all plastic, including PET bottles which are easily recyclable, made efficiently from recyclable material and which they claim are one of the most environmentally friendly packaging options available.

Harrogate Water is the largest independent family-owned producer of natural-sourced bottled water in Britain, and its chief executive James Cain admitted more needs to be done to tackle the use of plastic.

He added: “Images of plastic pollution on our beaches and in our oceans are heartbreaking.

“Longer-term solutions must be investigated but recycling is the here-and-now solution that can help turn the tide on littering without turning back the clock on healthy beverage switching or the good jobs and careers provided by the bottled water industry.”

Sales of bottled water overtook those of cola for the first time last year, demonstrating a trend switching to healthy drinking by consumers.

Officials from Harrogate Water are concerned that if consumers are dissuaded from buying bottled water, they will head back to buying bottled fizzy drinks and juices which contribute to high levels of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

Mr Cain voiced his concerns at a meeting at 10, Downing Street, with Sir John Randall, the special adviser on the environment to Prime Minister Theresa May. Mr Cain also highlighted a lack of recycling facilities and highlighted how effective deposit return schemes could be.

Meanwhile, Highland Spring is to trial the use of 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles. It believes it is a first for the UK bottled water market.

The pilot project will begin with the June launch of a 500ml ‘eco bottle’ in selected Tesco stores in Scotland, followed by Sainsbury’s stores in England.