Harrogate Water has intervened in the debate at the highest level to add balance and context to what it believes has become a one-sided argument against all plastic, including PET bottles which are easily recyclable, can be made efficiently from recyclable material and are proven to be one of the most environmentally friendly packaging solutions available.
Chief executive James Cain said: “Images of plastic pollution on our beaches and in our oceans are heart-breaking and no one can see them and remain unmoved. 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 up and down the country.”
Sales of bottled water overtook those of cola for the first time in 2017, demonstrating a trend towards switching to healthy drinking by consumers.
Harrogate Spring is the UK’s oldest bottled water brand. Every bottle is 100 per cent recyclable and made using over 50 per cent recycled content (rPET). This is the highest level of rPET of any bottled water producer. The company is a partner of Keep Britain Tidy and is behind the Incredible Shrinking Bottle recycling campaign, encouraging consumers to ‘twist it, cap it, recycle it’.
The Chief Executive welcomed the opportunity to visit 10 Downing Street where he met with Sir John Randall, special adviser on the environment to Prime Minister Theresa May.
“It was a constructive meeting with Sir John and an opportunity to balance the debate on plastic. Bottled water is the healthiest drink on the shelf and evidence suggests that, even when tap water is available, many consumers prefer natural source bottled water because of its taste and provenance. People who choose bottled water see it as an alternative to unhealthy sugary drinks, not tap water. This is the crux of the issue.”
Harrogate Water says that Plastic water bottles accounted for less than 20 per cent of discarded bottles and less than half a per cent of UK litter in total.
“Just like a glass bottle or aluminium can, it can be recycled almost infinitely, going on to become another bottle and achieving a truly circular economy, removing the need for virgin material”, Mr Cain said. “PET plastic is also the greenest packaging solution currently available, using less energy and producing fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than alternative packaging solutions.”
Harrogate Water is the largest independent family-owned producer of natural sourced bottled water in Britain. The first mineral spring was discovered in Harrogate in 1571 by Queen Elizabeth’s physician who recommended the water for its medicinal properties. The town became the first British Spa town and attracted wealthy visitors from around the world, including members of the Russian royal family. Harrogate Water was first bottled in 1740, making it the original bottled water.
