Plastic Free July - In Conversation with Heather Nicholson.

What led you to create the brand One Green Bottle?

I created One Green Bottle when my son was little and at preschool. My background is in industrial chemistry in manmade materials and electronics and I was very aware of the migration of harmful compounds in plastic into water. Back then you couldn’t source non plastic, non aluminium water bottles so I started bringing them back from China for friends and family. Around this time there was also a boom in the amount of products in single use plastic packaging appearing on supermarket shelves and there was mounting concern about the huge amount of plastic waste on the planet and the link between plastic and serious disease.

Can you tell us more about the effect of plastic waste on the ocean and the environment?

Plastic has many benefits but it is used on too many items unnecessarily. It is produced from petrochemicals and is an irreversible polymer. Once it is made it can either be incinerated (noxious gases and Co2), recycled (relatively expensive and not efficient) or dumped (it takes 500+ years to decompose. Plastic is dumped into landfill and thousands of tonnes are dumped into the ocean each year where it breaks down into smaller parts that are ingested into marine life. Microscopic particles of plastic have been found in municipal water supplies and marine creatures all over the world. The effect on the ocean is particularly profound in that it is killing marine life, affecting the entire food chain. The oceans produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. This balance is being affected.

How does One Green Bottle differ from regular plastic drinking bottles?

One Green Bottle started as being purpose led. It was never about huge profits and so we focussed on a high quality product and a reasonable price point that would make more people make the swap to reusable drinks bottles. Also we have a responsible supply chain. Zero carbon, zero single use plastic, excellent quality and working practices and always zero plastic packaging.

What keeps you inspired?

Our customers are amazing. The feedback we get is our driving force.

Do you think people have become more conscious about helping the environment and reducing plastic waste?

People are aware of plastic waste and I hope more people have been prompted to make better choices.

What is the best thing we can be doing to support the environment and reverse some of the damage that has already been caused?

It is the responsibility of suppliers and manufacturers to reduce plastic in production and supply. As consumers you could ask your suppliers to pack in zero plastic packaging and reduce any single use plastic where possible.

If you could have one wish granted that would make the biggest impact for the environment, what would it be?

I would love to see a bioplastic developed that is sustainable and harmless to the environment yet provides the benefits of petrochemical plastics.

What is next in the pipeline for One Green Bottle?

We are expanding our product lines and continually trying to make the best product we can. We focus on sports bottles. These are great for all ages and encourage you to drink more water.

What are your top 3 tips for living more sustainably?

1. Only choose products that are without single use plastic packaging

2. Campaign to suppliers to make sustainable products

3. Ask yourself – do I really need this in my life when purchasing a new item. If it is going to have limited use before being disposed of, is it truly worth buying?

For more information on One Green Bottle, you can visit their website.