SETTLE and Giggleswick have joined a network of communities across the UK in leading the way against the use of single-use plastic.
The town and village have together been awarded Plastic Free Community status by marine conservation charity, Surfers Against Sewage in recognition of the work they have done to start reducing the impact of single-use plastic on the environment.
Rosie Sanderson, local lead, started the campaign in 2023 after seeing publicity about the huge plastic garbage patch larger than France in the Pacific. Single use plastics once used do not disappear and instead end up in rivers and the sea.
Registering with the SAS Plastic Free Communities movement, Rosie pulled together key organisations and businesses to put in place an action plan. It included setting up a community led steering group, getting council commitment and working with the area's businesses, organisations and community groups to spread the word and minimise the amount of disposable plastics they use.
Rosie said: “We have had wonderful support from local organisations including Settle Town Council, Giggleswick Parish Council, two Settle and Giggleswick Women’s Institutes, the Scouts, four churches and religious groups, Giggleswick School, Action on Climate Emergency and the Community Hub have supported us by getting the message out to their members”.
Business have also got involved, The café at the Folly, The Wholesome Bee and Settle Swimming Pool fundraising shop have all achieved plastic free status by reducing their use of single use plastics. The swimming pool shop has replaced plastic cable ties with jute string for tying up sacks, and has replaced plastic carrier bags with bags made of recycled paper.
The Plastic Free steering group, including Barry White from Settle Town Council, Melanie Fryer of Settle Action on Climate Emergency and Sheila Gooch, organised a litter pick in partnership with the scouts, have decorated a Christmas tree with single use plastic and have constructed a seal out of flowerpots and decorated it with plastic waste to illustrate the effect on wildlife. The seal was displayed in the garden of Settle Quaker Meeting House at last year's flowerpot festival, and will return this year.
“I am are very pleased to have achieved plastic free status, and hope that by getting the message out to our community about the problem of single use plastic we will have a positive effect. I realise that the area is not completely plastic free, but hope further progress will be made.” said Rosie.
The Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Community network aims to free the places where we live from single-use plastic. The aim is to empower communities to kick start local grassroots action, which can then be built upon. There are over six hundred communities across the UK working to reduce single use plastic and the impact it has on our environment.
