As part of its support for Project Ocean, luxury department store Selfridge’s will be removing all single use plastic drinks bottles from its stores. The brand currently sells around 400,000 of such bottles a year in its food halls and restaurants but has vowed to remove them in a bid reduce waste and change consumer behaviours and attitudes towards plastic.
Project Ocean 2015 is a partnership between Selfridge’s and the Zoological Society of London - and supported by charities including the Blue Marine Foundation, Greenpeace and the Marine Conservation Society - to tackle the pressing pollution threat facing the world’s oceans. It is estimated that around eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year, which is killing marine life and damaging food chains.
As part of its support Selfridge’s will be hosting a number of in-store events and initiatives. An exhibition curated by Jane Withers will open in the Ultralounge featuring works by artists including Studio Swine, Andrew Friend and Nick Wood that draw attention to the plastic pollution problem. Alongside this, Arabeschi di Latte’s Water Bar will invite guests to imagine a life without plastic bottles and examine the ritual of water drinking.
As part of the campaign shoppers will be encouraged to invest in reusable bottles, which can be filled at the Sea Change Drinking Fountain in the Foodhall. Diners will also be urged to think about the sustainability of the fish they eat and support the cause through Selfridge’s restaurant’s Donate As You Dine scheme.
Now in its fifth year, Project Ocean has campaigned on a number of marine issues including endangered fish species, marine conservation areas, the decline in shark numbers and consumer attitudes towards sustainable fishing. However, they are not the only ones working to solve the plastic pollution problem: as we reported yesterday, vegan accessories company Matt & Nat is also offering customers the chance to donate all the profits from its Hope bag to anti-plastic foundation The Ocean Cleanup.
Of course, both Selfridge's and Matt & Nat would be deserving winners in Boat International's upcoming Ocean Awards held in conjunction with the Blue Marine Foundation. Nominations close on 17 July so if you would like to nominate them, or know of any other deserving organisations, simply email theoceanawards@bluemarinefoundation.com.