plastic free business
We have already achieved the first objective by having the full support of our town council. Our second objective is for local businesses to remove at least three single-use plastics and replace with sustainable alternatives. Removing the option to purchase and/or use single-use plastics is the easiest way to avoid them. Making suitable, sustainable alternatives readily available to customers will bring about a change in behaviour and reduce the amount of throwaway plastic in our society. We want to congratulate the businesses who are making these changes and offer them our full support.
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If you are a local business and are interested in getting on board, here are some of the changes your business could make:
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* Stop using single-use plastic items or replace with sustainable alternatives eg. cups, straws, bags, cutlery etc
* Encourage employees to use a refillable water bottle/coffee cup
* Recycle your packaging and encourage suppliers to use non-plastic packaging
* Stop using single use plastic packaging and encourage customers to use their own reusable bags
* Use metal cutlery or for take-aways use wooden cutlery
* Make full use of all the recycling facilities already available
* Use the Terracycle recycling bins for ‘hard to recycle items’ – for beauty packaging (in
Boots) and biscuit wrappers (in the library)
* Allow customers to ‘opt-in’ to single-use plastics, rather than distributing them as a matter of course
* Join in our community clean ups and tell us where you think these should take place
* Sign up to the Refill scheme so that people can refill their water bottles https://www.yorkshirewater.com/yorkshireontap
What is in it for your business?
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* We will promote your company throughout the area as a supporter of our campaign – through our Facebook page, website, Instagram and through the Bingley Town council
* You will be instrumental in helping Bingley to achieve ‘Plastic Free’ status
* You will get a Plastic Free Champion sticker to display as soon as you have made three positive changes. We can award this even before the town achieves plastic free status. So be a trend setter and join the campaign!
Contact us for more information at plasticfreebingley@gmail.com
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or click on the following link to register :
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https://www.sas.org.uk/petition/plastic-free-champion
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Plastic-free Champions
Towards the end of 2018 we were delighted to award the first three businesses in Bingley with Plastic-free Champion status! Lavinia's, The Loft and Suzie's Tea Room have worked hard to eliminate three single-use plastics. We applaud them for their commitment and success!! Who can join them next?
Lavinia's
This is a home based business and has made very many sustainable swaps to become a Plastic Free Champion. Emma Wilkins has phased out the use of 'bubble tea straws' (which act as tier support) in favour of wooden dowels; orders in bulk to cut down on packaging; has increased use of butter wrapped in paper to reduce plastic; reuses plastic piping bags, and recycles locally. The cakes are in cardboard boxes with a 'recycle me' sticker on each box; cardboard toppers for cakes are homemade; uses palm oil only when unavoidable, and then from a sustainable source; energy is supplied by Bulb; makes her own beeswax wraps; uses 'Ocean saver' soluble cleaning pods instead of buying new plastic bottles every time; uses china cups/mugs for drinks; has insulated refillable coffee cup when out; uses recycled paper for order forms; reuses bin liners; peelings, eggs shells etc go into garden compost; uses reusable cleaning cloths; uses recycled toilet paper (Who Gives a Crap?).
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Our first Plastic Free Champion for 2020 was YourZone45 - Bingley! They have a water fountain (Yorkshire water) for members to fill up their reusable bottles. There are bottles to borrow if you forget one. Refill Shipley provide their hand wash, shower gel and washing up liquid. Milk is delivered in glass bottles.
Taylormade Treats has made great strides towards going plastic free. They refill their cleaning fluids; use paper straws or straws made from other compostable materials; wooden takeaway cutlery, card boxes for takeaways and cakes; bamboo cups to buy (free first coffee with purchase and afterwards a large coffee for cost of regular in your bamboo mug) and fully compostable takeaway cups! They have plans to go even further. So it looks like time for coffee and cake as yet another wonderful independent cafe becomes a Plastic Free Champion!
And another super star! The Five Rise Locks Cafe use paper straws instead of plastic; wooden ice-cream spoons; paper bags; compostable cups for take-aways; serve milk in porcelain jugs instead of plastic pots and have ditched sachets for sauces in favour of bottles! Another excuse for coffee and cake! Well done to Marcus Dearden and staff.
David and Janine at the lovely Luscombes gift shop are our latest Plastic Free Champions! They have chosen to use paper bags instead of plastic - but only use paper bags on request. They have a stock of Morsbags for larger items. They reuse bubble wrap that comes from suppliers; they have chosen not to sell balloons. They use pot mugs and glasses instead of plastic. Please support our Plastic Free Champions with your custom!
And another star business! The Stationery Cupboard is a Plastic Free Champion! They have chosen to use paper bags instead of plastic, have reusable ceramic mugs for all staff, reusable cutlery for all staff, bamboo travel mugs have been sourced to sell, all cleaning cloths are multi-use and are washed and reused, currently trying to source non-plastic water bottles to sell, currently encouraging suppliers to reduce plastic packaging. They separate the current packaging and recycle where suitable. They also offer a recycling collection for old printer cartridges and have sourced a company that will either re-fill or have them broken down and made into something else. They have only been open in Bingley for seven weeks - so let's support this new independent enterprise!
The Bingley Physiotherapy Practice, on Main Street, has swapped plastic milk bottles for glass, hand-wash for soap, reduced their use of pens, stopped lining bins with bags in treatment rooms, stopped laminating notices and bought reusable coffee cups for members of the team who might want a take-away coffee. Well done to them - a useful list of ideas for other companies to take on board!
And ..... well done to Park Road Fisheries. They wrap in paper, they’ve got paper bags and wooden forks. So go and get your fish and chips and support our latest champion!
Wow, what a busy bunch our Bingley businesses have been! By the end of 2019, we'd welcomed 11 busineses into the plastic-free club. We cannot thank you enough for all the effort you've made, and continue to make. What a fantastic example you're setting and we applaud you. Keep up the great work and get in touch if you have any questions as you continue on your plastic-free way...
The progress we've made is amazing but we want every business in Bingley to pledge to be plastic-free. Get in touch for more info on how you can join us!