Five things to celebrate in 2022

The Plastic Free Communities movement celebrated its fifth birthday in 2022. In that time over 850 communities have signed up to work on the five step toolkit, to stop the flood of single use plastic where they live.

From linking up with their local councils and getting local businesses to ban single use plastic, to working with schools & organisations, holding community clean up events and more … these communities are laying effective foundations to tackle plastic pollution at source.

Here are five highlights from 2022. It’s just a snapshot. Every one of our community leads and their teams have made a difference. And through their work on the ground, they have all enabled nationwide change in one way or another. Thank you.

1. Exmoor becomes the first Plastic Free National Park

In summer 2022 Exmoor achieved the Plastic Free Communities award, after successfully completing the five step toolkit. The team signed up in 2019 and, despite the pandemic, their campaign has reached an estimated two million visitors every year since. 22 Plastic Free Champion businesses are on board and 40 other organisations are working alongside Plastic Free Exmoor to ditch single use plastic and spread the word. Switching to refill cups for one event alone has saved 14 thousand plastic cups a year from polluting the environment. Read more on their journey here

2. 5,500 Plastic Free Champion businesses across the UK go for Gold

2022 was the year we reached 5,500 business champions, and launched our Silver and Gold awards for businesses. The awards recognise champions who go on to deepen their plastic free journey, and those local businesses who decide to go plastic free from the get-go. Over the last five years we’ve seen the campaign grow from businesses taking their first small steps through banning straws and cutlery … to giant leaps such as refusing to stock plastic bottles or offer disposable coffee cups. Businesses can have the biggest impact on plastic reduction in our Plastic Free Communities and we’re chuffed we can now recognise them with the gold standard. You can read more here

3. Almost 400 Plastic Free Communities contributed to the 2022 Brand Audit, calling out the top plastic polluters

Our annual Brand Audit continues to make waves. And the Plastic Free Communities network across the UK were, yet again, the biggest SAS volunteer cohort to take part in 2022, submitting a whopping 372 audits. This vital piece of Citizen Science enables us to call out the biggest plastic polluting brands and the companies behind them. The top three polluters, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and McDonalds were responsible for a staggering 38% of all branded pollution found. It’s through data collection like this that we are able to call out these big brands, and use our collective voice to demand change. You can read more on the audit and how we use it here

4. Welsh Communities celebrated the single use plastic ban they’d been calling for

2022 was the year Wales banned a whole list of single-use plastics. The ban comes into force in Autumn 2023 and will include a range of items from cutlery and straws to plates, polystyrene food containers and oxo-degradable plastics. From the early days of Plastic Free Communities, our leads in Wales have been supporting calls and evidence gathering for the ban. Our lead in Laugharne, Glynis Sampey, called the announcement ‘a major step forward for Wales’ saying the legislation gives local campaigns a huge boost. Other leads were instrumental in lobbying their local representatives, and are looking forward to further products being added to the list. Read more here

5. Scottish communities collaborate to get their voices heard.

Communities in Fife continued to join forces and strengthen their voice on national decision making, and also local campaigns. 2022 saw more community workshops as part of their plastic free period campaign. Alongside this, the team worked with their council and ‘Hey Girls’ to ensure free period packs being provided to schools and the wider community are plastic free. The Fife team also put together a template response as the Scottish government consulted on its Circular Economy Bill. Making it easier for people to understand, influence and feedback on the bill, in order to push for an end to plastic pollution. An example of the Plastic Free Communities movement in full power. Enabling and empowering individuals on the ground … and taking that voice to power.

2022 has been another epic year of achievements for the network. Not least a resurgence after the pandemic’s worst effects. We’re looking forward 2023, including our first Plastic Free Mountain! But first a moment to pause, celebrate and rest.

If this has all inspired you to take action on single use in your life, or where you live, here are some links:

• Get started with an Individual Action Plan
• How your school can join Plastic Free Schools
• Sign up your business as a Plastic Free Champion
• Check out the five step community toolkit