Plastic Free Whitstable

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From microplastics in Antarctic sea ice to the deepest depths of the Mariana trench; the deepest point on our planet, even inside all of us right now, plastic pollution is everywhere.

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People worldwide are taking action to reverse this trend. From individuals to community groups, people are taking power into their own hands.  Back in 2017, the marine pollution charity, Surfers Against Sewage started their Plastic Free Communities project. 

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Plastic Free Whitstable (PFW) originally started back in 2018 with concerned local residents.  By the end of that year, the group was highly commended by Surfers Against Sewage and the town had officially received it's 'plastic-free' status.

 

​​​​​​​​Unfortunately, with the COVID pandemic, 'plastic free', single-use plastics and similar environmental issues took a set back, overwhelmed by the immediate public health issue. 

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More recently, Plastic Free Whitstable has been revived with help from local Soroptimist International members and a new wave of enthusiastic volunteers. 

 

To date there are now 638 registered 'plastic free' communities across the country; "We’re a community network tackling single-use plastic from beaches & green spaces all the way back to the brands and businesses who create it."  

 

PFW members continue to combat the threat of plastic that pollutes our environment.  Plastic Free Whitstable is now working closely with other community based groups in the town (CT5 Eco group) to further expand the reach of this community project. 

 

The group raises awareness of the problem and what can be done about it by spreading the word via local schools, community organisations and businesses. The group works with Canterbury City Council, looking at ways single-use plastic can be eliminated from council-run venues and events. PFW has been organising beach clean-ups in which volunteers gather as much plastic and other litter as they can find discarded or washed up on the shores and strandlines.

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FACT - Plastic doesn’t disappear over time. EVER. Instead, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics and nano plastics. These tiny particles enter the food chain, and have been found in water supplies, the atmosphere and even inside our bodies. We are only just beginning to find out the impact that has on our health.

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FACT - Countless fish, birds, turtles, whales and marine creatures are killed each year by mistaking plastic for food or getting entangled in discarded fishing gear across the world. Incidence of ingestion of plastics is well-documented in 1288 marine species across the world.

 

FACT - A rubbish truck full of plastic enters the ocean every minute around the globe. We can’t beach clean our way out of that!

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FACT - Plastic is used for anything and everything. And not all plastic is bad. The problem starts when it’s used for a moment, and then thrown away. We call this avoidable throwaway plastic, or single-use plastic. Thanks to big businesses endlessly pushing it on us, we’re caught in a single-use plastic trap and it’s choking the planet. And with only 9% of plastic being recycled globally, we know now that only by reducing our use of single use plastic are we going to get out of this mess.

 

Below are some of the worst offending types of plastic litter:

 

1. Plastic Bottles

38.5 million plastic bottles are bought every day in the UK. Around half end up in landfill, being burnt or in the environment.

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2. Disposable Coffee Cups

In the UK, we use 7 million disposable coffee cups every day.

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3. On the go / Takeaway food

Brits buy 11 billion takeaway food containers every year

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4. Food & Drink Packaging

Food and drink plastic packaging makes up 83% of the UK's waste.

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5. Carrier Bags

400 million carrier bags are still used in the UK.

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6. Bathroom Plastics

Bathroom plastics like wet wipes and period products are found on 72% of UK beaches

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7. Plastic Cups

For every million reuseable cups used, we could prevent a thousand tonnes of carbon emissions.

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8. Condiment sachets

855 billion single use sachets are used across the globe, 8 out of 10 Brits want them banned

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9. Balloons

Balloons are the highest risk plastic item for seabirds. They can be eaten by or entangle all marine life, causing choking, starvation or strangulation.

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Plastic Free Communities is a nationwide people-powered movement dedicated to breaking free from single-use plastic and stopping its production for good.

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