Bottled water is to be banned at Scottish government events as part of a bid to better protect the environment, writes Rob Edwards.

Ministers have told the Sunday Herald bottles of still water will no longer be provided at meetings hosted on government premises in Edinburgh or Glasgow. Instead, the water will come from the mains.

Last year, the government spent £62,028 buying 55,384 500ml bottles of still water for hospitality events at Victoria Quay, St Andrews House and four other buildings. This is now regarded as polluting and wasteful.

"From this spring, we will be replacing bottled still water with chilled water provided through the filtration mains system as part of the hospitality provided in our buildings," said a Scottish government spokesman.

This would cut vehicle mileage, and hence pollution, with fewer journeys made to collect and deliver bottled water, he said. "While all bottles used under our catering contract are recycled, this move will also help reduce the amount of waste produced by the Scottish government."

The move was welcomed by the Green MSP Robin Harper. "This will reduce government's impact on the environment and the cost to taxpayers," he said.

"We will press ministers to extend this approach across the whole of Scotland's public sector, and to go beyond it to consider how they can eliminate waste from their operations altogether."

Trade body British Bottled Water Producers was unavailable for comment.