Saturday 6thOctober. It was cold and wet – but four intrepid activists with Stretton Climate Care were found outside the Church Stretton Co-op Food Store with three of the store’s shopping trollies (with the manager’s permission), one full of plastic from Co-op foods which could be recycled, one with plastic which could not be recycled and one “not sure” as it wasn’t labeled.
As shoppers went in and out of the store, they were invited to take a “No 4 Plastics revised August 2021” leaflet. Stretton Climate Care have produced it after surveying the shops in the town to discover which traders were trying to reduce their use of plastic. Over 100 leaflets were distributed and some of the town shops now have the leaflet to give to shoppers.
Jon Cooke, our publicity officer, discovered only one shop which still had only plastic bags! The others could offer a corn starch or paper alternative. Food shops were willing encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable containers for both fresh and dried goods and plastic straws were definitely on their way out. It wasn’t just tea and coffee which could be bought loose. Customers were welcome to bring their own reusable containers for take-a-way drinks and increasing numbers of the town’s traders were looking at alternative packaging.
Stretton Climate Care has produced a free window sticker for anyone who wants to be seen to be cutting down on plastic. A number of the shops in the town are already displaying them. These and the leaflet are available from the Wellbeing Centre, Easthope Road on Thursday mornings 10.00 – 12.00 when Stretton Climate Care hold their weekly energy advice drop in service. Also available by request via the contacts page.
Comments
Penny Rice says
We must get used to re-using containers. Growing corn for cornstarch bags means that there would be less land available to grow food for a rapidly increasing population.
Ecowarrior says
Absolutely agree BUT until the public can be educated to bring their own containers / bag every time they visit the shops the alternative is to carry the goods home in their bare hands. Fresh meat - I think not.
Some good news. Crisp manufacturer Two Farmers Ltd from Hereford have just announced a crisp bag which is bio degradable. I wonder what is is made from? Potato starch would be a good idea - made from peelings.
Ecowarrior says
Many of the shops in Church Stretton are already displaying the window sticker "We're cutting down on plastic" and they really are beginning to cut down. Keep watching and we will name and praise some of them, starting with van Doesburg's delicatessen who have ditched the plastic pots they used to use and replaced them with cardboard. Also gone is the plastic disposable cutlery.
Customers can help a lot here by asking for non plastic alternatives. Why not let us know of further successes you see as you shop in our community.
The sticker has been offered to all the shops. Watch out for it as you shop.
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