HOW CAN YOU HELP
PLASTIC FREE HARPENDEN SCHOOLS GROUP
Schools:
The schools working group is delighted to have the following schools on board so far:
Aldwickbury
Crabtree Infants
Crabtree Juniors
Harpenden Acadamy
High Beeches Primary
Roundwood Primary
St Dominic
St Nicholas
St Hilda’s
Sauncey Wood Primary
The Lea Primary and Nursery
Wood End
The King’s School
Katherine Warington
Roundwood Park
Our aim is to share easy wins, tips and shortcuts as well as contacts and information to help each Harpenden school have a workable sustainability policy and actions in place to reduce single use plastic and help Harpenden gain Plastic Free Status at the same time.
Recent successes include the new Roundwood Park School policy to stop using disposable plastic water cups which saved approximately 18,000 cups in just 8 weeks.
If you are a member of staff, the PTA or a parent at a Harpenden school and would like to become more involved, join our mailing list for our schools’ newsletter or have any questions that we can help with, please contact
PLASTIC REDUCTION IDEAS FOR RESIDENTS
Reducing Your Plastic Use and Saving Money
Take your Tupperware or container to the meat, fish and deli counter and ask them to put it straight in without a plastic bag
A small bottle of water and some cotton wool and tissues can replace wet wipes during a nappy change and for washing hands and faces just use a flannel.
Switch To Plastic Free Alternatives
Refuse a single-use plastic bag and take your own
Take a reusable coffee cup when you go out and refuse single-use take away cups
Take a refillable water bottle when you go out.
You can look up on the Refill App (www.refill.org.uk) to see where you can refill your water bottle.
Take your own cutlery or use sustainable alternatives in your packed lunches.
Buy loose fruit and vegetables and either don’t use a bag, reuse your own small bag or use a paper mushroom bag for smaller items.
Try to look for second hand options first. Search on auction or selling sites before you buy new.
Refuse Plastic Where It Provides No Benefit
Take a reusable coffee cup when you go out and refuse single-use take away cups
Take a refillable water bottle when you go out.
You can look up on the Refill App (www.refill.org.uk) to see where you can refill your water bottle.
Take your own cutlery or use sustainable alternatives in your packed lunches.
Buy loose fruit and vegetables and either don’t use a bag, reuse your own small bag or use a paper mushroom bag for smaller items.
Try to look for second hand options first. Search on auction or selling sites before you buy new.
Refuse Plastic Where It Provides No Benefit
Say no thanks to straws
Refuse single-use condiment sachet
Recycling is preferable to landfill but usually about 15% of what goes for recycling still gets thrown away due to contamination and the process uses energy.
Plastic can only be recycled a few times before it will ultimately end up in landfill, as litter or in the sea.
So try to avoid goods with excessive packaging altogether.
Take your Tupperware or container to the meat, fish and deli counter and ask them to put it straight in without a plastic bag
A small bottle of water and some cotton wool and tissues can replace wet wipes during a nappy change and for washing hands and faces just use a flannel.
Switch To Plastic Free Alternatives
Have your milk / orange delivered in glass bottles. For example,The Milk Company supply milk and orange in glass bottles in the Harpenden area
Switch to refillable cleaning products. For example, Fairhaven provide Ecover refills locally.
Avoid single-use plastics in the bathroom, for example, use bars of soap rather than liquid soap in a plastic bottle.
Replace disposable items, for example swap disposable razors for a steel safety razor.
Swap plastic tooth brushes for bamboo compostable ones.
Choose metal, cardboard, glass packaging over plastic which are easily recycled. For example, Barrilla pasta or ‘Who Gives a Crap’ toilet rolls.
See if you have a refill shop or zero waste shop to refill your containers with products like pasta, rice, nuts, seeds, and spices.
Avoid single-use plastics in the bathroom, for example, use bars of soap rather than liquid soap in a plastic bottle.
Replace disposable items, for example swap disposable razors for a steel safety razor.
Swap plastic tooth brushes for bamboo compostable ones.
Choose metal, cardboard, glass packaging over plastic which are easily recycled. For example, Barrilla pasta or ‘Who Gives a Crap’ toilet rolls.
See if you have a refill shop or zero waste shop to refill your containers with products like pasta, rice, nuts, seeds, and spices.
Look at the Zero Waste App to find good places to shop to avoid packaging (www.zerowasteapp.io).
Try using reusable nappies, Boots and Waitrose sell nappy liners.
Try to use reusable boxes with lids instead of plastic food bags and clingfilm.
Try using reusable nappies, Boots and Waitrose sell nappy liners.
Try to use reusable boxes with lids instead of plastic food bags and clingfilm.
You could purchase or make cloth alternatives, e.g. beeswax food wraps and or a reusable snack bag.
PLASTIC REDUCTION IDEAS FOR BUSINESSES
Bags
Encourage customers to use their own bags and swap plastic bags for paper. Have reusable cloth bags on sale.
Containers
Allow people to use their own containers or use card, paper, or foil containers that are 100% recyclable. To help customers recycle its helpful if the containers are marked to make clear they are recyclable.
Packaging
If your stock comes packaged in plastic ask suppliers for the packaging to be removed. If you feel the packaging is necessary ask for it to be non plastic and 100% recyclable.
Ask lunch suppliers to use plastic free alternatives and encourage them to provide buffets on reusable platters that you can returned.
Remember its always best to avoid packaging all together even if its recyclable. Recycling is preferable to landfilling but usually about 15% of what goes for recycling still gets thrown away due to contamination and the process uses energy. Plastic can only be recycled a few times before it will ultimately end up in landfill, as litter or in the sea.
Plastic Straws
The best option is to remove straws altogether but if you feel you would prefer to have straws on offer if people ask, options are;
Reusable steel straw. This is the best option in terms of reducing waste but would require washing out and could prove expensive if they go missing regularly.
Uncoated Paper straws. Ensure they are not lined with plastic as this would mean they are not compostable. To minimise waste purchase straws that are not individually wrapped and have bins to collect used straws so that they can be recycled or composted rather than landfilled.
Cups and Drinks Bottles
Offer a discount if people bring in their own cups. Have refillable cups on offer for sale or a deposit scheme.
To help to reduce the number of plastic water bottles being produced sign up to the Refill app and allow people to refill their water bottles www.refill.org.uk
Replace plastic water bottles with glass bottles which can be refilled with tap water for office meetings.
Provide office staff with thermal drinks cups for drinks on the move.
Remove drinks machines and save the cost of plastic cups.
Plates, Cups, Cutlery and Stirrers
Single use plastics ( SUPs) such as plastic cutlery, plates and cups can be replaced by non plastic items. Beware when buying takeaway cups for use with water dispensers that they are actually 100% biodegradeable. Paper ones are available. Single use cutlery can be wood or compressed paper (these can be purchased locally in Fairhaven).
Reusable stirrers are preferable but if you opt for a disposable option ask your supplier for wooden uncoated stirrers and it is preferable to compost rather than landfill
Condiment Sachets
Remove sachets and go for bottles of condiments
Kitchen consumables
Try refillable washing up liquid e.g. Ecover,
Buy your tea and coffee in glass or paper containers.
Look into getting your milk provided in glass rather than plastic bottles.
Provide recycling bins in kitchens for plastic food packaging.
Encourage staff to use reusable lunch boxes and provide cutlery / crockery in the kitchen, so there is no need to use disposable plastics.
