Eco-friendly water firm Belu turns to corn for latest packaging

The firm, which previously only used glass bottles, claims the new packaging, which can be commercially composted within eight weeks, is "the UK's first eco-friendly, biodegradable bottle".

Marilyn Smith, Belu co-founder, said: "Belu's biodegradable bottle is a means of reducing the rubbish in our landfills and empowering consumers to vote for a cleaner planet every time they go in a store."

The new bottles will be available through outlets that already stock the brand, including Waitrose and London restaurants and clubs such as Nobu, Sketch and the Groucho Club.

Firms already using corn as a substitute for plastic include the Co-operative Bank, which uses it for its credit and debit cards.

Belu already invests all its net profits into clean water projects around the world and uses a UK spring in Shropshire to cut down on transport costs.

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