Environmentally conscious consumers will soon get the chance to sample a pioneering new Scottish product set to be at the forefront of the global fight against plastics pollution.

Edinburgh-based Choose Water is launching a pilot of its ground-breaking biodegradable non-plastic water bottle next week, April 25. It’s thought to be the first fully sustainable container of its type to be sold in the UK.

Dumping waste plastic into the seas and oceans is a global problem – with 2.5 billion single use drinks container
sold every year in Scotland alone.

The new, sustainable Choose Water bottles will be available in an industry standard 500ml size and filled with filtered water from the Cairngorms. They will have a paper pulp casing and a secret, entirely natural liquid-proof inner liner. Not made of plastic, they are opaque rather than transparent but shaped like conventional water bottles.

The Herald: James Longcroft is launching a new biodegradable water bottle.James Longcroft is launching a new biodegradable water bottle.

“We are launching this as a pilot is because the product is currently untested in the marketplace and we want to make sure it is refined properly,” says company founder James Longcroft.

“We want feedback from consumers before we move into mass production later this year.” Meanwhile the bottle will be available online, in cafes, at retail sites and at events such as festivals at around 80p.

The bottles don’t require fossil fuels to produce and if they end up in the sea or in landfill they take a couple of months to break down, compared with up to 450 years for conventional plastic, says Longcroft. The product is
the 27-year-old’s brainchild. The entrepreneur, chemistry graduate and Edinburgh resident has raised nearly
£50,000 in global crowdfunding and the company is dedicated to being socially responsible, supporting its charity partner Water for Africa.

“After a year and a half of trial and error we’re moving on to our pilot scheme and gathering public feedback.

“Once completed, we plan to build our production capacity to several million bottles by the end of 2019 – and keep growing,” he says.

For more information please visit www.ch2oose.co.uk

The Herald:

The Herald’s Climate for Change initiative supports efforts being made by the Scottish Government with key organisations and campaign partners. Throughout the year we will provide a forum in The Herald newspaper, online at herald.scotland.com and in Business HQ magazine, covering news and significant developments in this increasingly crucial area.

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