Businesses in the Buxton area are being asked to complete a short survey (just 10 questions) to help Transition Buxton (TB) gauge the scale of existing and planned activity to reduce the use of single-use plastic by local businesses.
This is part of an initiative that aims for Buxton to be one of the first towns outside the south west to achieve ‘Plastic Free Community’ status under a Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) scheme.
Please take a few moments to answer the survey questions here.
The closing date is 8 November.
To become a Plastic Free Community the following is required:
- Plastic-free Planning – to have a ‘local resistance steering group’, which includes a local councillor, meet regularly and plan events/initiatives/campaigns to reduce plastic use in the community
- Plastic-free Businesses – at least twelve local businesses removing three single-use plastic items e.g. straws, cups, bags, cling film, balloons, food packaging, sachets.
- Plastic-free Allies – community spaces, schools, churches, universities, community organisations removing three single-use plastic items
- Plastic-free Local Governance – local council must pass a resolution supporting the journey to Plastic Free Community status.
- Plastic-free Rallies – at least two high profile events per year
As part of this project, TB recently coordinated recycling bins at Sainsbury’s on the market place for hard-to-recycle items such as crisp packets and toothpaste tubes. The items are separated, parcelled up and sent to Terra Cycle who processes the items. Within the first six weeks, they have collected almost 5kg of items which would have otherwise been sent to landfill or ended up in the ocean. Another drop-off point for hard-to-recycle items is Burbage Primary School who take cake and biscuit wrappers and pens and another set of TB collection bins will soon be in place at the Devonshire Dome. TB are also currently looking for spaces in Lower Buxton to put their bins.
High Peak Borough Council (HPBC) are looking into their use of single-use plastics within Council properties and trying to influence their partners to do the same. They are also encouraging plastic pledges. Jean Todd, local councillor for Central Buxton ward, is leading the Council’s sub-committee and represents HPBC in the Transition Buxton steering group.
So, if you are a business in Buxton, could you be one of the plastic-free businesses? Complete the survey to tell Transition Buxton what your current status is.
You could also become a Plastic Free Business Champion – sign up on the SAS website here.
For more information, visit www.transitionbuxton.co.uk
