A NORTHERN wholesaler has been trialling a new concept in a York store to help reduce single use plastic waste.

James Hall & Co, Spar wholesaler for the North of England, has been trialling an in-store water tap for customers to re-fill their reuseable bottles.

The installation also features a display unit for Spar branded water bottles, allowing customers to purchase a bottle for £2.99, which they can they re-use for carrying liquids on the go.

Peter Drayton, store manager at Spar in Lowther Street, said: “Reducing plastic is such a hot topic at the moment and we are delighted to be able to run this trial.”

Spar Lowther Street is located close to York St John University.

Peter said: “The store is located in an area popular with students and we know that sustainability and recycling are very important issues within their community.”

New data from Recycle Now shows that the number of plastic bottles evading recycling could reach 29 billion by 2020.

Peter went on to say: “We hope that the installation will encourage others to make changes to their shopping habits.”