Out & About Spring 2019

Keeping it

We are all aware of the detrimental effect non-recyclable goods are having on our planet. Front of the firing line is plastic and with billions of tons going into landfill each year, as well as the mountains of litter just dropped, there is a growing army of people who are trying to do something about it and preserve the planet for future generations. OUT&ABOUT talks to some of the local groups doing their bit for the environment

C oncerns about the environment and the impact that our lifestyle has had and is continuing to have is an ongoing battle. David Attenborough highlighted the problem of plastics in the ocean in Blue Planet, illustrating the devastating impact on wildlife and nature. While the Green Party has long campaigned on environmental issues, there is a sea change among the general public and a greater desire to take action – the recent walkout by school sixth form pupils expressing their concern for the lack of action over climate change was a prime example. This awareness is mirrored in commercial businesses, now bending over backwards to show how eco- friendly they are and the recycling, packaging and other community intiatives they are instigating. The government took action against plastic bags when they introduced a 5p charge in 2015 and that has dramatically reduced the amount of bags we use for shopping – down from 7.9 billion bags in 2014, to 1.75 billion in 2017-18. The takeaway coffee and food market is also under pressure to provide recyclable cups and food containers. The larger chains already offer a money-off incentive if you take your own cup for a takeaway, but there is still much more to do. Smaller, independent business seem to be ahead of the game in this area, and most smaller cafés now have wooden utensils, no plastic straws and recyclable cups.

no waste. The products are all vegan and biodegradable – from laundry liquid, fabric conditioner, multi-surface cleaner, glass cleaner, vinegar, washing up liquid, toilet cleaner and liquid hand soap, to shampoo and conditioner. Jenny says: “We decided to set up a pop-up shop from our home, thinking that we might get a few people – but they were queueing round the corner, so we realised how keen people were to get involved.” Jenny and her group ran another pop-up event in Thatcham Baptist Church at the end of January. The space was donated for free by the church and people queued for up to an hour to top-up their cleaning products ethically at the zero waste shop Alongside the Thatcham Refillable stall, Scoop Zero Waste, from Oxford, was selling unpacked dry goods and people learned about Ecobricks – reusable building blocks made from plastic – from Hampstead Norreys Community Shop. The event also raised more than £200 for charity. The couple have refilled more than 400 plastic bottles since launching and built up a growing eco-network where ideas can be shared. Thatcham Refillable is open three times a week and Jenny advises people to check their website www.thatchamrefillable.co.uk or Facebook page to find out when they are open any given week.

One local group that is leading the way in how to recycle responsibly and what to do with all the waste that each household builds up is based in Thatcham. Jenny Kirby set up a Facebook page, Thatcham & Newbury plastic free, recycling & zero waste UK, last June and the group already has more than 2,000 members sharing ideas on how to reduce waste. Jenny also started Thatcham Refillable in September, which she and her husband run from their home and markets. They supply household cleaning products in customers’ own bottles. The products come in 20l containers, which are refilled – therefore there is Did you know... The plastic bag charge is not a tax, and does not go to the Government. Retailers are given the choice what to do with the proceeds, but they are expected to give it to good causes. Between April 2016 and 2017, almost two-thirds of retailers reported giving more than £66 million to good causes – amounting to four pence for every single-use bag sold by them.

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