Plastic Free Action!

Last week 8 members of HGN met to discuss how to take forwards actions from our Gathering that took place in February. We agreed a 3 pronged approach to some local plastic action:

 

1 The Black Stuff

We will research & develop a campaign across Herefordshire and Worcestershire to address the lack of infrastructure to recycle black plastic locally. This would be a positive campaign – and would facilitate us working with Transition West Midlands / Worcestershire Transition groups. It would also address a big issue for a rural county where every grower has a garden shed full of black plastic pots…

 

2. Single-use plastic action… 

Targeting unnecessary single use plastic, we will launch a campaign over the weekend of Hereford River Carnival and Spring Greens (5th – 6th May).

Our actions will include a Great Paper Bag Giveaway. Thanks to possible local sponsorship (tbc) we will buy FSC paper-bags – large ones with handles to give away at the River Carnival and small vegetable size bags to put out in supermarkets over the coming weeks. We will develop a logo, some wording and a rubber stamp so that the bags can be stamped with a message about what we are doing and why…

The launch of the campaign at the Hereford River Carnival will include:

  • A high profile pre-Carnival river & site clean-up team
  • Recycling Stations on site on the day of the carnival
  • A dream green team who can go around the site giving away paper bags and talking to stall holders about alternatives to plastics
  • A stall in the h.Energy Village – where we will be rubber stamping paperbags / giving away the bags / having conversations with the public

All of this will be supported by an array of arts activities happening in the h.Energy Village, including plastic weaving and sculptures (Fun Palace), plastic placards (New Leaf), and plastic planting (Hellens)

We will follow the launch event with engagement with local supermarkets and shops, including paperbag give-ways on a regular basis.

 

3. Resources

We will support all this activity by making sure that we have accessible online information about all aspects of plastic recycling, including:

  • Myth Busters – a guide to our current local recycling options
  • How to deal with compostable plastics & PLA
  • Our existing #PlasticFreeHere listing of ideas and inspiration for local and personal action: www.hgnetwork.org/plastic-free-here

 

If any of you would like to get involved with any of this activity, please get in touch…

We need lots of volunteers to take up the various roles described above and to engage the 10,000+ visitors who will make their way through Hereford River Carnival on the 5th May. We will also need volunteers to take our message to Spring Greens.

Ideas, support, action is welcome! Message contact@hgnetwork.org

No comments yet.

Leave a comment