Spar chain Eat 17 has begun a trial in its Walthamstow store for refillable beer bottles.

At the end of August, the London-based company partnered with Draught Drop for the scheme. Under the trial, customers purchase beer from local brewers with a £1.50 premium. The £1.50 is then returned to the customer if they bring the bottle back to store.

Commenting on the scheme, Draught Drop founder Mellanie Struthers said there would be a possibility to extend it to other independent retailers depending on its success.

Convenience stores lead demand for refillable stations

She said: “We work with a lot of independent craft breweries so we can offer consumers a wide range of choice.

“The trial with Eat 17 started off with a £1 deposit, but we’ve moved to £1.50. Sales are already really strong and we’re expecting customers to take two to four weeks to return the bottles. We’re seeing returns already.”

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