Bottle that biodegrades in hours could help save our oceans

An inventor from London was today launching a bottle that biodegrades in a matter of hours.

James Longcroft, 27, has spent a year developing the Choose Water bottle from his kitchen table. The Durham University chemistry graduate, from Fulham, says his new design could help curb the eight million tonnes of plastic that are dumped in the sea every year.

It is made from non-toxic, sustainable and natural materials, and is essentially a paper bottle with a waterproof liner. The liner, which is a secret combination of completely biodegradable materials, binds to the paper casing and creates a seal within the bottle.

The liner means the water in the bottle cannot reach the paper casing and cause it to break down. But when the bottle is submerged in water or left in landfill the paper will start to decompose, followed by the internal layer.

Mr Longcroft said the biodegrading process begins “within hours” and the bottle will totally decompose in three weeks. The thin steel cap will break down in about a year.

He believes the shelf-life will be the same as regular bottled water. The cost of producing his bottle will be about 5p more per unit than single-use plastic.

Mr Longcroft set up Choose Water two years ago as a bottled-water firm that would give all profits to a charity — Water For Africa. He stopped selling plastic bottles last year after researching the impact single-use plastic has on the environment. He now needs £25,000 of investment, which he hopes to crowdfund.

The father-of-two said: “I have driven my fiancée mad trying to get the formula right. It was just a case of experimenting. We are really excited to get our bottles into people’s hands as soon as possible.” He added: “I want to provide an alternative to plastic. Even if our bottle is only half a per cent of all the bottles used, that is still millions of bottles.”

The launch comes a week after the UK Plastics Pact was established, with more than 40 major businesses pledging to eradicate single-use plastics from packaging in the next few years.

The Standard has for the past six months been running The Last Straw , calling on all London businesses and restaurants to replace plastic drinking straws with biodegradable options.

For more on Mr Longcroft’s bottle, go to indiegogo.com/projects/choose-water-s-plastic-less-bottle-water