Plastic is tricky. It’s a useful material in many ways: it’s durable, lightweight and cheap to transport. But we’ve become addicted to it. It’s everywhere. And it’s ruining our planet. Not only is it polluting our local parks and community spaces, but it gets washed into our water system, poisoning and choking wildlife and entering our own food chain. Four in five fish are now thought to have plastic in their stomachs.
So what can we do about such a huge problem? There needs to begreater engagement from central and local government on this issue, and a ban on plastic straws, coffee stirrers and cotton buds will come into effect in April 2020, but there is more we could be doing as individuals. Local people can affect change by using their purchasing power to tell businesses that we don’t want to buy excessively packaged products.
Shop differently
Plastic free fresh fruit and veg is available on market stalls on Rye Lane
F C Soper’s fishmonger on Evelina Road in Nunhead stocks only sustainably sourced fish, and have cut their plastic waste by approx 70% in the last year
2 Girls Cafe on Rye Lane, BYO on Evelina Road in Nunhead, and Gather on Bellenden Road all sell dried groceries to fill your own containers with, which is packaging free
Flock & Herd on Bellenden Road will put meat a reusable tupperware if you take it in, as will many of the butchers, fishmongers and take away food outlets on Rye Lane
Think about what you’re buying and see if there’s a packaging free alternative nearby.
Carry a kit
Carry your own reusable tupperware, shopping bag, water bottle, cup, cutlery and lunchbox with you each day so that you can avoid using throw away items. This is much better for the environment than using throw away packaging, even wood, paper or vegware.
Volunteer with us
We need you! Plastic Free Peckham is a group of volunteers working with local businesses, schools, Southwark Council and local community groups to help people understand the impacts of plastic and make more informed choices.
To find out more visit www.plasticfreepeckham.org. or drop us an email at plasticfreepeckham@gmail.com - we would love to hear from you!
We are part of the environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage initiative Plastic Free Communities - we are one of 530 groups across the UK all working to reduce plastic in our local communities.