Highland Spring has responded to consumer demand by making a 100% recycled* and recyclable plastic ‘eco bottle’ a permanent hydration option for shoppers from January 2019.
Following a successful 2018 trial, the Highland Spring 500ml eco bottle™ will be available in selected retailers nationally from late January. The label features a burst of green colour and a ‘100% recycled* plastic bottle’ message to help it stand out from other bottles and help shoppers understand more about recycled and recyclable plastics.
The new eco bottle joins the existing Highland Spring range where all bottles are already 100% recyclable. The move marks a significant milestone in efforts to help keep plastic in the circular economy. With shoppers expressing a significant desire for more eco bottles at trial stage, the launch now gives us an opportunity to explore where further eco bottles could be added to the range later in the year to satisfy different hydration needs
The major roll-out follows a successful trial conducted last June. The results showed that shoppers responded extremely well to the 100% recycled* plastic eco bottle, with no negative reaction to the appearance of the recycled plastic and a willingness to pay more for recycled material.
What emerged as key factors in the purchase of the eco bottle was environmental consciousness, product availability and visibility in-store:
- 30% of shoppers who bought the eco bottle cited support for the environment as the main reason for purchase.
- Only one in 10 shoppers noticed a difference in the eco bottle as a recycled material.
- Even when shown the eco bottle alongside a standard Highland Spring bottle, only 35% of shoppers noticed a slight difference in the plastic appearance.
- Six in 10 shoppers claim they would be happy to spend more on the eco bottle, with the majority believing a 5p increase would be fair.
Highland Spring Chief Commercial Officer, Simon Oldham, said: “We’re delighted with the success of last summer’s trial. We had an incredible response from consumers who loved the idea of having a bottle of Highland Spring that was made from 100% recycled plastic.
Today’s consumers, particularly the younger generations, are increasingly looking for products which are either sustainable or developed with consideration for the environment. That’s why we’re excited to be taking the next step and rolling out our Highland Spring 500ml Eco BottleTM nationally.
Increasing our use of recycled plastic is a priority for Highland Spring and a key part of our vision to encourage healthy hydration in an environmentally sustainable way.”
Comments are closed.