Today’s Green Alliance report highlights how brands ditching plastic packaging and swapping to perceived ‘better alternative materials’ are potentially creating more harm to our planet.
This firmly backs up the stance that ethical water company, Belu has taken to help customers make the most sustainable choice for their business.
CEO Karen Lynch said, 'In December 2019 we announced that 100% of the plastic bottles we produce are now made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET). This investment was made having considered other materials.
'Choosing 100% rPET is the lowest carbon emission option for bottled water that can be utilised as part of the circular economy.'
Lynch continued, 'As this report highlights, businesses removing single-use plastics for other formats such as cans, cartons and other forms of plastic can unintentionally increase carbon emissions or end up without the specialist recycling facility the new packaging material needs.
'Belu always encourages customers and consumers to look at alternatives to single-use wherever that is possible. Belu also offers refillable bottles and filtration systems, including an innovative and award-winning scheme (The Belu Filter Initiative) where outlets are offered a filtration system, and its upkeep, without charge; diners contribute a voluntary £1 per table.'
Lynch concluded, 'Our biggest challenge recently has been in educating our customers to see beyond the apparent simplicity of the anti-plastics noise, and to build enough confidence and knowledge to see that being part of a circular economy must be the priority in creating fewer carbon emissions.
'This report gives us confidence that the strategy we have in place, and the messaging we have given to customers, is the right one.'
Belu is a social enterprise that gives 100% of profits to charity WaterAid, to transform lives through access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.