Cheers to our Plastic Free Communities

Over the last few years, our Plastic Free Communities have had a lot to contend with.  After the explosive start of the movement in 2017, followed by rapid growth which saw millions of people take action on plastic pollution, volunteers were faced with a global pandemic… and then the cost of living crisis.

Through everything, our Plastic Free Communities have remained resilient. We have seen the power of community, the power of grassroots action and the power of working together to get our voices heard. With 927 communities now, that’s a pretty loud national voice. And 2023 has been no different.

We look back on just a few highlights from this year, to celebrate all of the amazing work in 2023 …

Swimming in Plastic

Communities across the UK took part in Citizen Science at their local cleans to support our 2023 Brand Audit. Our Cornwall communities then came together to launch the results with a community bred and led stunt. Working with Plastic Free Penzance, volunteers from Plastic Free Marazion, Falmouth, Penryn, Helston and Bodmin as well as the SAS team in St Agnes, the Jubilee Pool in Penzance was filled with around 8,000 bottles (one weeks’ worth of Plastic bottles used by the town) Local synchro team ‘Out of Sink’ released the Brand Audit results as part of a synchronized swim routine, which also saw them perform in the middle of the bottles. The visual impact was huge, showing the extent of plastic pollution and a testament to people power.

The idea lead to a new campaign video, calling on the government to take action on the delayed Deposit Return Scheme. A scheme that would save an estimated eight BILLION plastic bottles, cans and glass containers from entering the ocean every year. Communities joined us in calling on MPs to get a move on with DRS.

Single-use plastic bans

2023 saw two new single-use plastics bans in the UK become law, one for England and one for Wales. Our Welsh communities contributed to the consultation on the ban and also provided case studies and best practice examples as the guidance was rolled out. Across the whole UK our leads were instrumental in sharing information with local businesses, helping them to understand the ban and implement actual solutions such as refill and reuse rather than swapping one single use problem for another. Our communities will continue to play an important role in further consultations in 2024.

The Plastic Free Communities Conference

In the summer, 50 of our Communities came together for the first Plastic Free Communities Conference since Covid. A fantastic networking and learning event that focused on plastic reduction and grass-roots community action. We were excited to welcome from Naseem Talukdar from Projects Against Plastics, held a Mass Unwrap, and work with our community leads on future developments of the campaign as well as hear about all their local campaigns.

The Five Step Toolkit

This is the basis of everything we and our Communities do. Nearly 1,000 new local businesses, councils, individuals and community organisations joined the movement this year. As well as 336 schools joining our Plastic Free Schools Programme. Whole communities coming together to achieve a long-lasting reduction in single-use plastic in their neighbourhoods, and amplifying their local voice into national action.

We have seen how our community leaders help support local businesses and encourage thriving high streets. By sharing successes, holding joint events and even coming together for community cleans, communities and businesses have been working together to share the plastic free message.  We have seen many businesses become leaders in plastic reduction by working through the Silver and Gold Business Champion Awards

We are also proud of the thousands of cleans that happened around the UK this year, as our communities fight to clear up the tide of plastic pollution in their towns, streets, rivers, beaches and green spaces. Our Million Mile Clean volunteers cleaned a whopping 88,430kg of rubbish, that’s the same weight as nearly eight buses!

This contributed to the biggest citizen science project in the UK, gathering data on the biggest polluters, and using it to demand change.

It’s been a year of community led plastic free awesomeness, and we want to say a MASSIVE thankyou to all our communities in making us the LEADING plastic free movement in the UK.

We can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2024.Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

You can get a round-up of Surfers Against Sewage’s wider campaigning this year HERE