Glasgow based co-op Greencity Wholefoods says it has saved an estimated 53,000 plastic bottles from going into circulation since changing its policy last summer.
The wholefood wholesaler stopped selling drinks in single-use plastic bottles at the end of May 2018. Based on sales, they claim that this has avoided 53,000 500ml bottles from being purchased.
“We don’t just talk, we take action. Everyone can make a difference,” they said in a tweet on World Environment Day on 5 June. The same date was also used to spread the word about plastic pollution, with campaign group A Plastic Planet asking people to tweet about their preferred alternatives, using the hashtag #OnePlasticFreeDay.
Scotland’s largest organic wholesaler, Greencity stopped selling plastic bottles because of the growing evidence of the damage that plastic is causing to the environment and human health.
Recent studies have shown small particles of plastic in the human body, as well as significant amounts in the water supply.
Greencity Wholefoods co-op member, Craig McCormack, said at the time of the policy change: “As a worker owned co-operative, everyone took this decision for the benefit of the environment and people’s health. We feel the time is right to make these changes.
“We have worked tirelessly to increase our range of drinks to enable our customers to source alternatives that are easier to recycle.”
