Helensburgh bidding to become 'plastic free community'

This month, communities around the world have been taking part in the initiative to reduce plastic waste through small actions such as taking a reusable cup to lunch or getting involved in beach cleans and litter picks.

The past few weeks have also seen the ideas of Plastic Free Helensburgh start to take shape.

The group was formed by Fiona McLeod, a teacher at Hermitage Academy who was inspired to act after becoming responsible for the Academy’s Eco Schools group.

Members of Plastic Free Helensburgh held their first community litter pick in the town on July 13 – but Fiona says the group aims to be about more than lifting litter.

READ MORE: Helensburgh volunteers tackle town's street litter

“We have a number of different small groups,” she said, “including a business group, an events group and a council group.

“In theory we’ll meet as a steering group to decide what action to take in each area over the next year, then go away and get on with it – but one of our members organised the litter pick before we’ve even had a steering group meeting.”

Fiona was searching social media for information for her Eco Schools work when the idea of pursuing Plastic Free status – awarded by the Surfers Against Sewage group – for Helensburgh came to mind.

“I kept seeing stuff in my Facebook feed about Surfers Against Sewage and communities which had achieved Plastic Free status,” she said. “I found out that Plymouth was the biggest Plastic Free community in the UK and I thought ‘well, surely we can do this in Helensburgh’.

“But I felt I couldn’t take on all the work myself and so I posted on a local Facebook group to see if there would be any interest. There wasn’t much of a response, so I left it for a while and then tried again.

“The second time I posted about it a lot more people noticed and took an interest – and the group now has more than 130 members.”

In a roughly similar fashion to Fairtrade Towns, achieving Plastic Free status for Helensburgh doesn’t quite mean completely eradicating single-use plastic.

Instead, Helensburgh will have to meet five objectives to gain Plastic Free status, which are: setting up a steering group (already done); getting the support of the local council; working with local firms to reduce reliance on single-use plastics; spreading the message in schools, churches and other community groups; holding at least two community events in a year, including litter picks, beach cleans and “mass unwrap” in supermarkets.

“But we want to do miles more than that,” Fiona said. “We also want to get six businesses to commit to eliminate or replace three types of single use plastics.”

READ MORE: Helensburgh's beach cleaners hard at work

Work is already well under way on raising awareness of the group and achieving its aims.

Progress has been made in Hermitage Academy, with new recycling bins introduced and monthly litter picks organised, and Fiona hopes to earn Plastic Free School status next term.

Primary schools are also getting in on the act, with information letters sent out to parents at Colgrain advising of the best way to prepare a waste-free packed lunch.

Colgrain PTC chair Lucy Wright said: “These are online constantly and give parents an overview of what they could do to reduce their lunch-time waste and a few ideas for small things that could be done in your home to promote this as well.

“We’ve not had any discussion with the school about moving forward with the idea of plastic-free in any way as we have a new head-teacher starting in August.

“However, the PTC would like to discuss adding recycling bins to the playground, as well as a separate area where the school community can do things like put unwanted shoes, used toothbrushes and certain other items that we can then send-off with the TerraCycle project.”

By spreading the word in the community and getting businesses and the council on board, it is hoped small changes can make a big difference.

READ MORE: Report reveals scale of marine litter problem at Arrochar and Garelochhead

Fiona added: “By working towards plastic-free community status we will be contributing toward the global effort to reverse the climate emergency, increasing community cohesion and involvement, thereby improving physical and mental well-being, as well as making Helensburgh a much more appealing place to live in.”

Helensburgh central councillor Lorna Douglas is part of one of the steering groups and has high hopes that it can make a positive impact in the community.

She said: “I think this has the potential to be a very successful local initiative.

“I have only attended their first meeting to set up a steering group, but I will be liaising with the council officers that can help and support the group.”

Kate Williams, who works for Glasgow-based social enterprise Society Zero, and helped set up the Rhu Clean-Up Crew, is also a member of the new Helensburgh group.

She said: “It’s very difficult to see something that clearly isn’t acceptable and to do nothing about it.

“This is more than just beach cleaning and litter picking, it is about us all, as individuals, reconnecting with nature, raising awareness of the unnecessary and often single-use plastic waste that we are producing, and most importantly the community coming together to solve these issues for our health, wellbeing and future generations.

“We know that recycling isn’t the answer, but the first step is to engage the town to do their bit.

READ MORE: Rhu beach clean sparks plastic waste concerns

“We aim to get a list of all the recycling points dotted about the town from toothbrushes to crisp packets – these in turn can raise vital funds for community groups and gives people a sense of ‘doing their bit’.

“We hope to hold events to show people the alternatives to single-use plastic and where to invest in sturdy reusables that will not only save them money in the long run, but will also help to save the planet from the plight of plastic.

“The issues within society are much deeper than plastic, but it’s a great place to start.

“If you can only do one thing, then do it!”

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THERE are more than 570 plastic free communities throughout the UK, recognised by Surfers Against Sewage.

Set up in 1990, the group has grown to become one of the country’s leading marine conservation charities, dealing with a wide spectrum of issues from marine litter to climate change.

Tackling the throwaway society and its avoidable over-reliance on single-use plastics has become the organisation’s top priority and they are not alone in taking action.

Across Helensburgh and Lomond, regular beach cleans offer temporary relief as foreshores struggle with the constant flow of rubbish in the Firth of Clyde.

A report at the tail end of last year by the Marine Conservation Society revealed the severity of the problem in Arrochar and Garelochhead, with beaches in both areas among the most polluted in Scotland.

In Helensburgh, the recently launched plastic free community group aim to work with local businesses, including shops and restaurants, to improve recycling and reduce plastic pollution.

Increasing the number of outlets which offer free water refills - currently available at Greggs, Costa Coffee and the Henry Bell Wetherspoons in Helensburgh - is among the group’s priorities, while a pop-up zero waste shop is also in the pipeline, selling organic foods and products without packaging.