There’s no denying it, the pandemic has changed so many parts of our lives. Some temporary, some potentially long-lasting. But as many of us are getting back to a more normal existence, there’s one area that has perhaps taken a backseat.
With over a quarter of people thinking their usage of single-use plastic has gone up during the pandemic (YouGov), and a third thinking it has remained the same, we at Plastic Free Caversham feel that now is the time to reignite enthusiasm to reduce single-use plastic.
A simple but effective way to discourage buying single-use plastic in Caversham would be through the installation of a water refill station, which would be available for all residents to use year-round.
So we want to make this a reality. Throughout July we have been selling reusable bamboo cups, and have launched a Just Giving page, to raise funds for a public water refill station in central Caversham. So far we are about 20% of the way towards our £3,000 target. A proportion of our funds raised will also be going to Surfers Against Sewage’s national plastic free campaign.
Plastic Free Caversham, founded in 2019 by local business owner Anne-Marie Evans and Caversham councillor Ayo Sokale, aims to work alongside local residents, businesses and schools to assist them in becoming more sustainable and reduce their reliance on single-use plastics.
We have been working towards accreditation from environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage, having already gained the backing of local businesses. Activities have included a successful ‘mass unwrap’ event at Caversham Waitrose, awarding a local business, the Weller Centre, a ‘Plastic Free Champion’ award, as well as several litter picking events in recent months. By implementing the necessary changes to become Plastic Free champions, a number of local businesses have been instrumental in helping to achieve four out of five objectives of the Surfers Against Sewage accreditation process, thereby bringing us closer to our goal of champion status for the whole of Reading.
If you want to support us and be a part of Caversham’s future, please visit our Just Giving page – all donations, no matter how small, will be welcomed.
Article written by Charlotte Armitage.
Further information
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticfreecaversham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticfreecaversham/
Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/plastic-free-caversham
