Great progress on plastic pollution

December was a fantastic month for the Borough’s plastic pollution campaigners.

In addition to endorsement of our proposed borough-wide single use plastic (SUP) strategy by the council earlier in the month, on December 21 Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) confirmed that they had awarded Windsor Plastic Free Community status, as a result of the work of the Plastic Free Windsor campaign.

The award is partly in recognition of a strong campaign that can now operate independently of the charity.

SAS will continue to provide support, but in future our objectives will be agreed locally by our own steering committee.

It is also in recognition of a genuine community campaign.

Over the last two-and-a-half years we’ve obtained strong support from the council, set up our steering community including three councillors, recruited 12 Windsor businesses who have each removed three or more items of SUP from their products or operations, worked with 15 of Windsor and Eton’s schools (two of whom have achieved a Plastic Free School award), obtained the support of 12 of the town’s community groups, events and public venues, organised 12 events of our own, and used eight different channels to communicate with the borough’s residents.

I’d therefore like to thank all of the councillors, officers, business owners, school staff, parents and pupils, community groups and venues, local media, our steering committee, and our followers for their help and support. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Most of all I’d like to thank our small but dedicated team of volunteers, who have been punching above their weight for well over two years now.

I couldn’t be more grateful for their hard work.

Two-and-a-half years ago I didn’t know any of them, now I proudly call them my friends.

Everybody who has contributed to the campaign has done so by making their lives harder.

It would have been easier to do nothing, but they chose to give their time and effort, and made their lives more difficult as a result. The award is in recognition of that – thank you all.

PAUL HINTON Plastic Free Windsor