A plastic free revolution is emerging in Bournemouth with scores of local businesses signing up.
SOBO Wastebusters, of Southbourne, came up with the plastic free scheme and ever since over thirty business have shown interest.
Maria, co-founder of SOBO, said they would like to see as many people as possible sign up. She said: “We are trying to get people into the habit of re-using. The more businesses sign up the better.”
As well as the SOBO scheme other business are also on theplastic free drive. The manager of, ‘Food on the Loose’ in Pokesdown, known as Jane, said she just wants to do her bit.
Meanwhile in Boscombe the manager of the soon to be opened ‘Just One Swap’, known as E.S. Said: “We are going in the right direction.”
Plastic is said to be a grave threat to the environment and its affects are wide ranging.
Magda Zuder, owner of the plant-based catering store ‘Holy Cow’ in Westbourne said that plastic affects all of life. Everything is connected, every fish in the ocean and we eat the fish.
She said: “We believe we’ve got to start somewhere. So, it makes sense, ‘Think global act local.”
She added: The planet would become more and more choked. It will come back to haunt us even more.”
Big chain supermarket came under fire as well for continuingto ignore the dangers.
Richard Slade owner of the ‘Boscanova’ plastic free café in Boscombe said: “There’s a lot of work still to be done for the big chains.”
When asked if the supermarkets were doing enough. E.S. of‘Just one swap’ said: “No absolutely, so that’s the problem. You go to a supermarket and they all want to be trendy. However, most of the vegetables will be packed any way in plastic.”
Major supermarket chain Sainsbury’s did not defend the criticisms as they refused to answer questions on the phone and instead replied by email.
Quoting figures, media relations officer, Harry Duffy said that in 2019 the outlet made a commitment to reduce plastic packaging by 50% by 2015.
He admitted that they currently use 120,000 tonnes of plastic per year. In 2018 there was a reduction of 1%.
Their efforts of going plastic free, include the removal of 489 tonnes of plastic trays, 290m loose plastic bags and 20m polystyrene pizza bases.
As well as local stores signing up to SOBO’S scheme interest from other areas is widespread and they are hopeful that it will go national. They said that the attitudes have greatly changed, and a good proportion of people are getting in the habit.
Other solutions to the problem are also on the increase. E.S. Said that local people are making goods supporting local businesses and wholesalers have cottoned on. She said: “If we could make a plastic free place that would be extremely rewarding.”
She went on to say that education is the key and we need a lot more of it.
However, there is opposition to going plastic free. In an essay entitled, ’Trucost plastics and sustainability’ it is claimed that plastic packaging is not bad for the environment.
It states, ‘not when properly collected and disposed of.’ A claim is made of studies showing that if no plastic were available and other materials were used there would be an increase in greenhouse gasses.
Other claims were that it encourages fewer vehicles therefore less fuel and that the packaging reduces waste.
Disputing this Magda of ‘HolyCow’ said: “I really don’t think so. If you look at other countries, it’s quite the opposite. Because if you buy loose vegetables you only buy what you need.”
She added: “If you go to the shop and its already packed you have no choice.”
As for the future small retailers were quite positive about their individual businesses. Jane said: “I’m feeling very good about it because we are getting busier and busier.”
E’S’ said she was really hopeful, there was a massive push on Instagram
There was also hope for the future of a plastic free environment.
Maria said: “The community now is very open to the idea, (there’s) a lot of positive feedback.”
She added: “Now is the time when people realise that something like this is necessary.”
Gerry Gilbert
