Sustainable Bridgnorth
Sustainable Bridgnorth are a local environmental community grass-roots organisation working towards a more sustainable and low carbon community in the town of Bridgnorth and its surrounding district. They lead on and support a number of initiatives in the town including the #PreventPointlessPlastic campaign, supporting the Town Plan, providing an advisory panel for the Town Council to reduce their carbon footprint and investigate other schemes to reduce or mitigate the impact of Climate Change.
The #PreventPointlessPlastic Alliance is an alliance of Sustainable Bridgnorth, local businesses, church & school groups, Wildlife Trust members, residents and other representatives working hard to reduce unnecessary use of plastic in the town, and its subsequent detrimental environmental impact. The campaign was originally started at the end of 2018 following the hugely successful showing of the environmental documentary “Trashed”; to raise awareness of the issue of single-use plastic in the town, to reduce waste generated and plastic pollution of the River Severn in addition to inspiring people and businesses to seek out reusable products, re-use systems and recycling.
Sustainable Bridgnorth leads the steering group who work with local schools, businesses, organisations and community groups. The campaign has undertaken several activities, projects and events including the trial pop up zero waste shop (package-free ‘dried foods’ refill shop), launching the water refill scheme #RefillBridgnorth, selling special edition jute bags, the schools single-use plastics-free lunch boxes competition and a talk by Daniel Webb on ‘Everyday Plastic’. There are soon to be two permanent Refill Shops in Bridgnorth.
The Shops and Businesses sub-group have surveyed over 200 shops and other small business premises in Bridgnorth on what they have done – and will be doing – to reduce avoidable plastics. Several businesses in the town have been recognised for their ongoing work to reduce plastics.
Registering with the marine conservation charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) Plastic Free Communities movement in 2020 as Plastic Free Bridgnorth, Sustainable Bridgnorth had already met most of the objectives in their five-point plan. In September 2020, Bridgnorth was awarded Plastic Free Community status by SAS, in recognition of the work it has done on the ‘Prevent Pointless Plastic’ campaign to reduce the impact of single-use plastic on the environment.
Bridgnorth is one of the inaugural members of the ‘Shropshire Against Pointless Plastics’ Coalition (SAPP).