Information for Businesses

Find out about the objectives and how you can achieve Plastic Free Champion status

Removing the option to purchase and/or use single-use plastics is the easiest way to avoid them. Making suitable, sustainable alternatives readily available to customers will bring about a change in behaviour and reduce the amount of throwaway plastic in our society.

Surfers Against Sewage, Community Toolkit

Businesses can work towards the Plastic Free Champion award. This is a certificate and a wooden plaque that can be displayed with pride on your premises.

To achieve the award, businesses must remove at least three single-use plastic items or replace with sustainable alternatives.

There is also a commitment to continuing to eliminate single-use plastics from the business.

For some businesses this is easier than for others. Offices, for example, may not use the obvious culprits such as straws, stirrers, plastic bottles etc.

That’s fine, there are other ways that you can get involved, such as banning disposable cups, encouraging plastic free lunches and looking at your marketing materials.

Surfers Against Sewage have provided a Business Toolkit which contains ideas for all businesses and has specific tips for the following sectors:

  • Office Based
  • Hair & Beauty
  • Holiday Accommodation
  • Leisure

Download the toolkit to get started

Showcase

See which businesses are getting involved and what changes they are making

We have heard through the grapevine that the following businesses are now offering refillable drinks:

  • The Globe
  • The Paddle
  • Coffee Garden

Napoleons Bar is the second business to get involved in the campaign and achieve their Plastic Free Champion award.

To achieve the award they made the following changes:

  • Plastic straws have been replaced with paper straws
  • Plastic water bottles are no longer being purchased, to encourage people to refill
  • Plastic bags have been replaced by paper bags
  • Plastic drinks stirrers are no longer being purchased

In addition to this they are continuing to actively look at their daily activities to determine what other changes can be made.

The Cliffhanger were the first business to get involved and achieve their Plastic Free Champion award.

They made the following changes to achieve their award:

  • Plastic Straws have been replaced with paper straws
  • Plastic Cups have been replaced with paper cups
  • Plastic condiments sachets have been replaced with condiments in glass bottles
  • Extra recycling bins have been provided to include glass and cardboard recycling

In addition to this, they are actively engaging staff to determine what other changes can be made to reduce plastic consumption.