UK non-profit Reuse Foundation has launched Bottles for Good, a UK-wide initiative designed to help online and bricks-and-mortar refill stores encourage more people to adopt refill habits.
The launch comes as plastic pollution continues to grow.
According to Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic, UK households discard around 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging every week – nearly 90 billion a year – much of which is single-use and difficult or impossible to recycle.
Bottles for Good positions local and online refill shops as key partners in shifting consumer behaviour away from single-use packaging.
Participating stores will receive free starter bundles, including high-quality refillable bottles, stainless-steel pumps and caps, and ready-made marketing materials. Stores will also be featured on Reuse Foundation’s social media channels.
Under the program’s shared impact model, stores are encouraged to donate 50 per cent of each bottle sale to Reuse Foundation, with the retailer keeping the remainder.
The charity says this structure allows businesses to offer a meaningful product with a clear environmental and social story.
Aside from the recycling initiative, proceeds from the scheme will support its women-led sustainability projects in rural India.
The charity supports projects that train women – many of whom were previously informal waste pickers – to run refill services that replace single-use sachets and bottles.
“Bottles for Good gives UK refill stores a simple way to seed reuse habits and help customers start their journey with refills,” said Roger Sharp, trustee of Reuse Foundation.
“Local refill shops are the perfect partners to make reuse mainstream.”
Reuse Foundation says that despite being relatively new, it has already secured support from MPs, government ministers, and prominent figures across industry and the sustainability sector.
