James Longcroft is the founder of Choose Water, which has developed a new water bottle that’s plastic free, fully biodegradable and sustainably sourced. Find out more

One word that describes you?

Lucky.

In your own words, what do you do?

I run an ethical water company, Choose Water, that wants to help those without clean water and not damage the environment at the same time.

Which is your favourite part of your job?

Talking with the passionate people that believe in what we are trying to create, and seeing the support that everyone is giving us.

Which is the part that you enjoy the least?

It can get a bit lonely in our factory, I make the bottles by hand at the moment and I am really excited to be able to build a great team.

Who is your greatest influence?

Hands down, David Attenborough, I have always loved his programmes and I think we would get on. Half way through developing our bottle, Blue Planet 2 came out and that really helped with motivation.

Best advice you’ve been given?

“Smell the cake, blow out the candles.” It is a breathing technique that helps with stress and it has got me through some bad days, when the bottle wasn’t working, and before live interviews.

What was your Plan B?

As my brother would say, get a real person job.

Your personal indulgence?

A glass of red wine and sweeties, not together though.

How do you like to travel?

Sustainably! Alas with a young family and this bottle i haven’t been able to get away much in the last few years.

Favourite sustainable hotel or other place to stay?

I don’t have one yet but once really want to take the family to Norway, maybe rent a small cabin and just turn the phones off.

What steps do you take to make your life more sustainable?

It is the little things I think that can make all the difference. I say no to straws, take a bag with me shopping, try and walk rather than drive, and generally try to be conscience of what I am doing.

What must happen now to help make our planet more sustainable?

It must be now that we all take responsibility for our actions rather than hiding from them, it is time for all of us to go that little bit further.

Hotels or other places to stay who walk the talk on sustainability in your experience?

I don’t get away enough but when I find one I will let you guys know.