By Zahra Al-Kateb
London department store Selfridges has removed all single use plastic water bottles and has introduced a drinking fountain in aid of Project Ocean.
For the ninth year running, the annual project aims to highlight the increasing danger plastic poses to the world’s oceans. In partnership with The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Marine Reserves Coaltion (MRC), Project Oceans is committed to reducing plastic waste and wants to change the public’s attitudes to the use of plastic.
In the next decade oceans could hold one kilogram of plastic for every three kilograms of fish. By removing all water bottles from Selfridges’ Foodhalls and restaurants – amounting to approximately 400,000 bottles annually – Selfridges hope to raise awareness of the harm plastic causes to oceans. Customers will be encouraged to use alternative solutions to plastic water bottles including tetrapak and glass options as well as reusable water vessels.
For the first time ever, Selfridges have also opened a new traditional public drinking fountain located in the London Foodhall named ‘Sea Change Drinking Fountain’, offering customers freshly filtered London tap water. This marks the first every water fountain available for customers within a department store.
The Ultralounge – Selfridges’ 350sq meter exhibition space – will play host to The Project Ocean Exhibition curated by Jane Withers and will feature film installations, art works and displays which aim to change people’s perception around the usage of plastic.
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Alannah Weston, Deputy Chairman of Selfridges Group said: “The Selfridges Project Ocean campaign is one which is very close to my heart and our business. With our latest initiative we aim to drive awareness of the serious threat plastic poses to our oceans; in particular single use plastic water bottles. We will be encouraging people to think twice about their use of plastic water bottles, which ultimately end up as waste destroying our precious oceans.”
Customers visiting the Selfridges London store will also be able to admire the window displays along Duke Street, where recycled plastic bottles have been rendered to create ocean and water themed installations.
Help tackle the world’s plastic problem by shopping Selfridges’ range of on-the-go water bottles at www.selfridges.com.
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