The English Riviera is being urged to actively support the campaign to ban environmentally devastating single use plastics.
Councillors want Torbay Council to sign up to the campaign being run by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and DevonLive/Herald Express so that the resort joins 125 other communities in Devon going plastic free.
At a meeting of Brixham Town Council on 22nd February, councillors unanimously agree the motion put forward by Councillor Carr “That this Council sets up a working group to explore the various options open to the community of Brixham in combating plastic pollution”
The Chamber of Commerce has recently started an initiative for Brixham businesses to commit to steps to reduce their plastic waste and single-use packaging as much as possible. A group of interested businesses have already started to develop a list of pledges such as “all our single-use packaging is biodegradable” and “we give 10% discount to customers who bring their own cup”.
The Chamber’s intention is to clarify the approach and then invite all Brixham’s businesses to get involved. Not only will this be excellent for the environment, it will also provide a way for our businesses to stand out from the crowd. The scheme is being developed by a group of hospitality businesses but all types of business are encouraged to get involved. If you’d like to sign up or for more information please email hospitality@brixhamchamber.co.uk
Alex Foley of the Guardhouse Café who is leading the Chamber’s initiative said: “It’s impossible to visit Berry Head without being overwhelmed by the beauty of our local environment and wildlife. At the Guardhouse Café we feel we are the guardians of the beautiful headland and we have recently taken several steps to reduce our carbon footprint and in particular the waste from takeaway cups.
“The ones we use have always been biodegradable but now we’re going even further by adding an optional 25p charge, which we are giving to environmental charities, for every takeaway cup we sell. Customers are encouraged to buy our re-usable cups, made from bamboo fibre – we sell them for £7.50 and include a free drink inside them.”
These moves come as beach cleans are taking place across the Bay ahead of the season and volunteers recently pulled out a massive haul of waste and plastic from Brixham, both onshore and from the water. They picked up more than 800kg of other people’s discarded rubbish.
And following the recent storms, a huge amount of debris, including hundreds of plastic bottles and containers of all sizes, was washed up on to Churston Cove.
Thanks to hard work of locals, walkers, volunteers and Torbay Cleaner Coasts Initiative the beach and the paths and woodlands immediately behind the beach are now clear of waste.
More information:
http://www.torbay.gov.uk/DemocraticServices/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=662