Since being accredited as a Plastic Free Community a couple of years ago, we've continued to recruit more businesses and allies, as the plastic problem is not going away any time soon. We encourage everyone to reduce single-use plastics and seek alternatives. It’s not always easy but small efforts from everyone can make a big difference.
We now have 25 Business Champions actively cutting back on single-use plastics, including recent additions Carole Knight (Artist) and Lennies Chocolates at the Foxlowe. Homeward Studio, Lion House Tearoom, and Tagg Floral earned Silver Awards for their progress. Congratulations to them all. St Luke’s Church and St Paul’s Church Centre are our latest Allies, bringing the total to 32, including Scouts, schools, U3A and sports clubs. If you know a business or organization in the Moorlands interested in joining us, please let us know – Sally is happy to give talks.
Our Sustainable Consumer group held a Christmas Crafternoon last December to address the problem of Christmas waste. As we all know, this can be a very expensive and wasteful time of the year. People feel pressured to spend a lot of money and often buy things ‘for the sake of it’, all of which leads to a lot of waste, not just food, but much more, including a lot of unnecessary packaging.
We researched Christmas crafts that were completely plastic free and used sustainable materials, most of which were second hand or recycled. We even sourced organic, plastic free glue and used plant-based tape. We wanted to show people that you can create lovely decorations without too much expense while being kind to the planet at the same time.
You may be aware that I have been working with some local schools to help them achieve their Plastic Free Schools Award. (Plastic Free Schools is part of Plastic Free Communities run by Surfers Against Sewage.)
I was delighted to be invited along to watch a debate in the Council Chamber at Moorlands House, home of the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.
However, this was no ordinary debate. The chamber was full of 7- to 9-year-olds from Blackshaw Moor First School. They were kept in order by Councillor Adam Parkes, several other councillors and council officers.
Once all the children had had a go with their microphones, they settled down and Councillor Parkes explained about what goes on in the Chamber and the role of the council. Then the subject of the debate was introduced - Are you committed to being a Plastic Free School?
Blackshaw Moor have just started on their journey towards becoming a Plastic Free School but some of the remarks made during the debate showed that many of the pupils already have a good grasp of the problems that plastics pose to the Earth.
Read more: Blackshaw Moor First School – Plastic Free Debate
Recently, Moorlands Climate Action welcomed the incredibly talented New Mills Fashion Activistas to Leek where they put on a brilliant alternative fashion show.
You may already be aware that fast fashion has a huge impact on the environment, being responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. As well as that, it uses a phenomenal amount of water – it takes about 2000 gallons to produce a pair of jeans. It is very energy intensive and as lots of fabrics are man-made they have plastics in them which shed microplastics each time they are worn or washed.
The Activistas wanted to change people’s attitudes to fashion and how they source their clothes. So, they began to create beautiful clothes from charity shop / preloved finds. All the clothes are embellished with messages about environmental issues, exploitation of garment workers, along with positive ideas for change. Each outfit was modelled on the catwalk, accompanied by a commentary on its history that also explained the message it was showing. The main message was to buy second hand whenever you can. If you can’t, buy good quality, sustainable clothes- but buy fewer, look after them well and make them last.
Moorlands Climate Action are thrilled to be able to host a Fashion Show brought to us by the wonderful, talented New Mills Fashion Activistas.
New Mills Fashion Activistas (a play on the word ‘fashionistas’) is a group of people worried about the cost of fashion for our planet. As well as being able to repair and upcycle clothes, their main aim is to engage people in a conversation about how we can all do better as consumers when it comes to buying clothes - shedding light on the environmental and ethical issues associated with conventional fashion practices.
They hold talks and workshops as well as Fashion Shows, which started when they founded New Mills Fashion Week. In their shows, they display outfits they have created from preloved clothes, often embellished with beautiful eye-catching embroidery and slogans with messages about fashion and our world, inspiring change and also promoting an eco-friendly approach to style.
Audience members are encouraged to come along wearing their own preloved outfits and, if they wish, to share their stories. It promises to be a fun, informative evening.
The Fashion Show will be taking place on Thursday 18 September. It is a free event...
The Refill Campaign has been running in Leek for several years now and we're proud to have signed up more than twenty businesses. Following on from a meeting last year between SMDC and MCA, we understand that SMDC / High Peak Councils have now registered as a Refill partner for 2 years. We look forward to hearing more about their plans to develop the scheme that MCA originally registered for the Moorlands 5 years ago. Working with the councils should ensure greater publicity in items such as tourist information, as well as in places like leisure centres and food outlets. We hope the council will install water fountains in the market halls and other public areas.
We're now approaching World Refill Day on 16 June, a day that's not just about raising awareness but inspiring a reuse revolution around the world. Why not take part in the #5DayChallenge and share your experiences with others?
You can download the free Refill app here - https://www.refill.org.uk/ Let's stop waste before it starts.
- First Plastic Free School in Leek
- The Problem with Food Waste
- Building a Planter with Ecobricks
- Clothes Swaps and Upcycling
- Plastic Free Leek – Latest from Sally
- Our Latest Plastic Free Champion
- All Things Plastic!!
- Plastic Free Leek – Campaign Update
- Refill – A City to Sea Campaign
- Clothes and Media Swap
- Clothes Swish ‘n’ Swap
- Plastic Free Harvest Festival