Co-op customers boost ethical water sales
Support by caring Co-op customers for the ethical water brand, One, has led to the installation of 14 roundabout-powered pumps in South Africa within the first 12 months of it going on sale at the Co-op.
One is a bottled water brand with a difference, with proceeds going to build unique "Roundabout PlayPumps", which bring much-needed water to some of the poorest rural communities in Africa.
The Co-op is the biggest retail supporter of One, and sales in the past year have generated over £70,000 in funding, which has already paid for 14 PlayPumps with another two on the way, changing the lives of over 35,000 people through the provision of free, clean drinking water.
World Water Day this Thursday (22 March 2007) will highlight the fact that one billion people in the world don't have access to clean water, and two million people die every year from diseases related to unsafe water.
Ed Reaney, category buyer for soft drinks at the Co-op, has just returned from a fact-finding trip to South Africa to see for himself the scale of the problem there and the beneficial impact that the Co-op-funded installations have had.
Mr Reaney commented: "We take water for granted in the UK, but it was amazing to see the difference the availability of free, safe water made to the South African villages and schools we visited. Women and children no longer had to waste hours a day walking to collect water, which meant the children could go to school, where they were guaranteed a school meal, and the women could go out to work in the fields."
He added: " With the continued support of our customers, we can help One generate even more funds for much-needed water provision in Africa, helping to dramatically improve the lives of thousands of people."
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Notes to editors
One is the first product from Global Ethics, a not-for-profit organisation run by Duncan Goose, which donates all the profits it makes from One to providing free clean drinking water in Africa. Retailers selling One make a contribution to the project for each bottle sold.
For further information please contact:
Michelle Vernon
Public Relations Manager - Food
the Co-operative Group
Tel: 0161 827 5290