Northumberland pet store becomes first business joining Northumbria Water's 'Refill' scheme

A Morpeth-based pet store, My Pet HQ, has become the first Northumberland business to join Northumbria Water’s Refill Durham and North East initiative in a bid to reduce plastic waste in the region.

Morpeth members of the public can now refill their water bottle for free at My Pet HQ, as the pet store joins the national scheme by the water industry and Northumbria Water.

Attempting to reduce plastic pollution by allowing members of the public to refill their bottles for free at designated Refill stations, the national scheme aims to reduce the use of plastic bottles and in turn plastic waste, while offering better access to high quality drinking water.

Caroline Coppen, one of the owners of My Pet HQ, said: “Since we’ve had our Refill station installed, we’ve had great feedback from local people.

“As a business, we’ve always been one for firsts. We were the first business in Morpeth to open our doors until 8pm Monday to Saturday, and we offer a diverse range of pet wellbeing courses, classes and events, that are completely unique to us as a business.”

The national scheme, which is estimated will help reduce the use of plastic bottles by millions each year, is part of the water industry’s continued efforts to encourage members of the public to adopt more sustainable habits.

Northumbria Water’s CEO, Heidi Mottram, added: “As an ethical company, we really support this campaign, which not only encourages people to drink our clean, clear and great tasting water, it will also help reduce the amount of plastic waste.”

In the UK alone, an estimated 800 plastic bottles a minute end up in either landfill or as litter, often making its way into waterways and out to sea.

This problem of plastic waste was most recently highlighted in the BBC’s popular documentary, Blue Planet, which depicted some of the devastating effects plastic pollution has on oceans and marine life.

Diane Coppen, co-owner of My Pet HQ, also said: “We recognise that as a business, we have a responsibility to help people tackle the problem of plastic waste, and sustainability is something that’s always been at the heart of our brand so it’s great to be part of this initiative!

“I hope that we can encourage more businesses in Morpeth to follow our lead. We certainly have a lot of thirsty pets through our doors - and sometimes owners! - so it’s great to be able to offer them clean and fresh water in a more sustainable way.”

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