The Plastic Free Minehead campaign was started in 2018 by a group of local residents who were responding to a growing concern about plastic waste in the town and an awareness of how much single-use plastic was being generated. After 3 years of dedicated campaigning and actions in March 2021 it became the 131st town in the UK to gain Plastic Free Community status.
Several objectives had to be achieved including:
- setting up a community led steering group
- instigating the Plastic Free Schools education programme
- working with other communities groups and allies
- running awareness raising events and actions
- encouraging local businesses to move away from single use plastic
- getting Minehead Town Council to adopt its own plastic free strategy
Community allies who have signed up include local women's institutes, sports groups, West Somerset Community Radio, Minehead EYE and Minehead Library. Local businesses that have stepped up to become SAS 'Plastic Free Champions' include: the Beach Hotel, Channel Adventure, Dana’s fish and chip shop, Stuart Lowen’s Quality Butchers and Farm Shop and Salad Days and Holi Moli Beach Huts in Dunster. Awareness raising events and actions have included film nights and talks as well as regular community beach cleans often attended by 50+ local residents. A ‘Mass Unwrap’ action was also carried out at Minehead Tesco in early March 2020 - run in conjunction with the store’s management team.
Although the town has achieved Plastic Free status, it cannot afford to rest on its laurels. SAS ask for an annual report that outlines new actions and achievements. There are still many residents and communities that can be engaged with and more that can be done to support our local schools and to encourage even more businesses to become Plastic Free Champions.
This website is one way the local retailers and companies can be supported on this journey to really put Minehead on the map as an example of Plastic Free best practice, with all the knock on effects this has on promotion of the town as a truly green, sustainable community in these times of climate and ecological crises.
