UK accolade for Edinburgh eco firm

Edinburgh business CHOOSE is celebrating after being named as the UK’s most eco-friendly packaging development company.

The Granton-based firm landed the prestigious honour in LUXlife Magazine’s 5th annual Food & Drink Awards.

The news underlines the tremendous work being done at CHOOSE, with founder James Longcroft and his team having spent the last few years developing the world’s first biodegradable bottle. Recently launched, it is the only commercially available paper bottle in the world that has no plastic in it.

Welcoming the award from the high-end lifestyle magazine, CHOOSE chief commercial officer Darcy Nicholl said: “It’s a real honour to receive this prestigious award and we’d like to thank the whole team at LUXlife. It is recognition of the great work being done at CHOOSE.

“We are aiming to minimise plastic pollution by offering consumers plastic-free alternatives to their everyday products. Our biodegradable bottles do exactly this. All the materials used to make our bottles are 100% natural, sustainable and vegan-friendly. 

“But our work is only just beginning. We are a small team with a shared love for our planet and a mutual interest to protect it. Not just for us, but for generations after.

“The scale of the plastic crisis is massive. Hopefully, this award helps illustrate that you don’t have to be a multi-billion-pound company, or a die-hard eco-warrior, to make a difference.

“We can all make changes, no matter how small, in the way we live to become part of the solution. This could be as simple as swapping out your old household products for our biodegradable bottles, containing 44% less carbon and absolutely zero
plastic.”

The ground-breaking bottle from CHOOSE has an outer casing made from recycled de-inked newspapers, the interior from a plant-based waterproof liner free of PET (polyethylene terephthalate). There is also a unique metal capping system which rusts down in the environment into naturally occurring minerals.

Katherine Benton, awards executive of AI Global Media Ltd which publishes LUXlife, said: “Our extensive research and judging process is driven by merit and centred around an in-depth evaluation of skills and services on offer. 

“Awardees must demonstrate expertise within their field, dedication to customer service and a commitment to promoting excellence. This approach has brought us much success and commendation throughout its use and enforces LUX Life’s stance that victors are not determined by popularity of votes, but by their contributions to their industry.”