Council launches Plastic Free Pledge encouraging local people to reduce their plastic footprint
Telford & Wrekin Council has launched a new campaign today, supporting its sustainability agenda for the borough.
The Telford & Wrekin Plastic Free Pledge encourages local people to consider their use of single-use plastics by signing up to the pledge.
People who sign up to the pledge will receive a four-week series of emails offering practical tips, challenges and ideas to help them find sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics in their daily lives.
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services, Cllr Carolyn Healy (Labour) said:
“The impacts of plastic pollution are causing serious damage around the world. Eight million pieces of plastic go into the ocean each day, one million seabirds a year die from plastic pollution, one in four fish caught for human consumption now contains plastic – these statistics are shocking.
“And these issues are compounded by the fact that 50% of plastic produced is used only once and can then remain in the environment for up to 400 years.
“As a council, in July 2019 we made a commitment to remove single-use plastics from our operations and activities, replacing them with sustainable alternatives by 2023, and to encourage and promote plastic free initiatives across the borough.
“We’ve made good progress, having removed single-use plastics from most of our operations already. We have also established a Plastic Free Taskforce of local organisations working in partnership to achieve plastic free community status across the borough, and all local Town Councils have signed up to achieve this plastic free status.
“But we also recognise the role we can play in encouraging people across the borough to reduce the amount of single-use plastics in their own daily lives too.
“By signing up to this pledge, local people can get simple, practical ideas straight to their inbox – plastic-free ‘swaps’ that they can make on their next shopping trip, like choosing loose fruit and veg instead of those in plastic bags.
“These individual actions might seem small, but when our whole community works together, they can have a big positive impact on the sustainability of our borough.”
To sign up to the council’s Plastic Free Pledge, please visit http://www.sustainabletelfordandwrekin.com/get-involved/plastic-free-pledge
More information about Telford & Wrekin Council’s Plastic Free agenda can be found at http://www.sustainabletelfordandwrekin.com/what-the-council-is-doing/plastic-free
Photo features Cllr Healy with a reusable water bottle.
