Single use plastic water bottles banned in Selfridges, London

Flagship London department store Selfridges has banned plastic water bottles as part of a campaign to cut down on marine litter. Joining forces with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Selfridges has launched Project Ocean 2015 which aims to help tackle the growing issue of plastic in our oceans. With the UK using around 15 million plastic bottles per day, it’s estimated that in the next decade, oceans could hold one kilogram of plastic for every three kilograms of fish. In its launch statement, the project stated that: “Plastic bottles, for example, can take between 450-1,000 years to break down into smaller pieces, and the lifespan of the resulting microplastics is even longer. These microplastics can be ingested by marine animals, passing up the food chain and causing toxic harm.” As well as the bottle ban, as part of the project ZSL has been working with the carpet manufacturer Interface on Net-Works. Through this partnership, discarded plastic fishing nets are collected from the ocean by local communities and recycled into carpet tiles. In April German sportswear company Adidas partnered with initiative Parley for the Oceans to recycle ocean plastic waste into its products from 2016 (read WMW story). Selfridges has set up a Project Ocean exhibit to show consumers the "truths around plastic in the oceans and the initiatives individuals and companies are taking to rethink the way we use plastic”. The exhibit will feature immersive installations, films, art works and displays – and includes a ‘water bar’, where shoppers can sample alternative water drinking experiences, served by water sprites. The exhibit will run from 9 July to the end of August 2015. ### Image: Kirsty Richards "Plastics on a beach" Read more Ocean plastic debris to be recycled by Adidas into sports products