Plastic Action Reduction
September 2017 saw Transition Woodbridge screen “Bag it”, a film following a man’s quest to find out what happens to an individual plastic shopping bag from how it is made using fossil fuels and what that means for the Earth, to where it goes in landfill, and what impact single-use plastic has on the oceans and people’s health.
We followed this up with a second viewing by popular demand and a rammed meeting to discuss what local action we could take to minimise single-use plastics in Woodbridge and Melton. The owner of Woodbridge Emporium (loose leaf tea) and people representing Poppys Pantry talked about their efforts to provide alternatives for people to buy to avoid plastic use. We tried to encourage people to switch to these in their attempts to reduce their personal plastic use and other products available in the town using social media.
In between David Attenborough had presented Blue Planet II and the problems of plastic use went to the top of the climate breakdown agenda.
In January 2018 to keep the pressure up, we screened “A Plastic Tide”, a film sponsored by the local WI groups, encouraging people to think about alternatives to products with microbeads and to think about clothing items with microfibres and their impact on sea pollution. The owner of Woodbridge Emporium (loose leaf tea) and people representing Poppys Pantry talked about their efforts to provide alternatives for people to buy to avoid plastic use. We tried to encourage people to switch to these in their attempts to reduce their personal plastic use and other products available in the town using social media.
We held our annual spring clean litterpick in March 2018 to clear up potential plastic pollution around the town.
At this point Greenprint Forum, the environmental forum for East Suffolk Council presented an event in March 2018 looking at what alternatives people had to plastic and recycling in Suffolk and highlighting efforts being made in Suffolk to reduce plastic use and pollution. We were able to support Greenprint Forum at this event. Greenprint Forum created Plastic Action Champions, individuals/organisations to carry on the legacy of encouraging reduction of plastics use by the community and to keep up the momentum.
June 2018 saw our first RiverClean coordinated with the 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts, River Deben Association and Woodbridge Rowing Club to try to clear litter (mostly of a plastic nature) from both banks of the river at the Tide Mill.
Throughout 2018 we continued to support local businesses that were specifically setting up locally or providing products to reduce plastic use such as Cupboard Love, Bev’s Beeswax Wraps, Woodbridge Kitchen Company, Honey and Harvey….. to name a few.
November 2018 we screened “Albatross” a moving film about the lives of an albatross community on remote islands in the Pacific and how they are affected by plastic pollution in the oceans.
We helped sign up local cafes and restaurants to REFILL in 2018, an app that enables people to find their nearest tap water refill point so that they don’t need to buy a plastic bottle of water. To support this initiative, February 2019 saw the film screening of “Tapped” about plastic bottles production and its impact on the environment and pollution. March 2019 saw our Spring Clean litterpick. June 2019 saw our second RiverClean with the 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts.
March – June 2020 Covid Lockdown. Members of Transition Woodbridge made over 1,000 face masks for the local care homes and Little St Johns Street’s doctors surgery as well as scrubs for various health professionals across the country. The prime aim to reduce the need for plastic masks.
March 2021 Annual litterpick as part of Keep Britain Tidy.
September 2022 Third RiverClean with over 50 people from Transition Woodbridge, 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts, Deben Sailing Club, Deben Cruising Club, Rubbish Walks and Save the Deben. There was a huge haul of litter from the river as well as the land.
September 2023 Fourth RiverClean with volunteers from Transition Woodbridge, 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts, Deben Sailing Club, Deben Cruising Club, Rubbish Walks and Save the Deben. Polystyrene and fishing equipment were the main pieces of rubbish in the river; metal cans and cigarette butts on the land.
March 2024 Transition Woodbridge volunteers were encouraged to take part in The Big Plastic Count, recording and sharing their results with Greenpeace. This is the UK’s largest survey into household plastic waste.
