NOTES FROM ACTION GROUP:

Ideas discussed by the public at the Climate Emergency meeting on 7th October 2019:

Data performance indicators

• Publish and trend waste data from Biffa and other waste companies serving Faringdon
• Plastic audit – can we attract a plastic recycling plant to Faringdon through the town plan based on the data?
• Should we get expert advice from the Vale?

What can we eliminate?

• First priority is to eliminate the use of plastic to reduce CO₂ from the lifecycle of plastics – oil extraction, manufacturing, transportation, etc
• Plastic bag ban
  • Why sell reusable plastic bags when we could use paper or string bags?
  • Suggestion for local craft club/community group to make and sell string bags
• Cling film ban
• Pasta straws to replace plastic and paper 
• Encourage sale of packaging free alternatives  
  • Shampoo Bars, Shaving Bars
  • Can we demonstrate demand for such product to encourage shops to stock these products locally
• Plastic water bottle elimination
  • FCC are installing water fountains
    • There were concerns that they were removed from schools due to legionella but that may be old news with new designs of water fountains.
    • Is it only FCC? Why not the other academy schools?
    • Ban plastic bottles in the Faringdon academy?

How can we reduce?

• Reduce single-use plastics
  • Costa cups
  • Stay grounded do a reusable cup
  • Faringdon council could provide a returnable cups from its offices or sell them to raise funds to support environmental projects
• Encourage traders to use bio-degradable cellulose packaging
  • Influence by refusing trading licenses to those that use plastics and cannot show reduction at renewal?
• Reduce need for plastic water bottles
  • Faringdon have plans to install a water fountain at the pump house
  • Investigate the “refill” App 
    • Map of water points in shops etc
    • Add council building to the app take the lead, encourage other outlets
    • Resurrect the Faringdon refill project
• Scoop/Bulk Buy shops/Refill shops
  • Faringdon unwrapped
  • Popular but some did not know where it was when it was open – education.
  • Stay grounded has small but unadvertised outlet – focus is a café.
  • Lechlade have a dedicated shop,so has Wantage and Cirencester
  • Question raised over the sustainability of the small business model for low value bulk sales.
  • Suggestion for town council to write to large stores in the area on the subject of excess plastic packaging used in stores.
    • Waitrose and Sainsburys have trial stores addressing this
    • Botley waitrose is a refil trial store
• Remove micro plastics from washing machines
  • Investigate a local outlet for ‘CORA’ balls
• Commission art using waste plastics to raise awareness
  • Faringdon collage with bottle tops by a local artist?
• Public workshop on how to run a low plastics household – Plastic audits to learn best practise
• Educate: Residents need to follow appropriate instructions for recycling nappies in black bin and not recycling bin.
• Encourage people to leave packaging instore and avoid to take it home.

How can we influence young people

• Support local teen group organising themselves into an environmental group to attract speakers and expert advice
• Faringdon town council could connect with shops, companies, organisations and regulators
• Investigate the surfers against sewerage “Plastic free communities” initiative