Plastic Free Guildford

​The Plastic Free Communities campaign was set up by Surfers Against Sewage, to help protect our oceans & ecosystems from plastic pollution.

Plastic Free Guildford is a voluntary community group campaigning to free Guildford of single-use plastics.

As part of Experience Guildford’s Greener Guildford initiative, we are supporting the Plastic Free Guildford group and helping to identify local businesses who are prepared to commit to making changes to their daily operations to help counter the plastic pollution crisis.

Below you can read the five point action plan,  set out to help Guildford achieve Plastic Free Community status:

1. Local Government Support

On 23rd July 2019, councillors at Guildford Borough Council voted unanimously to pass a Plastic Free motion, which commits the council to reduce and eliminate plastics in its own operations as well as to encourage businesses in Guildford to do the same.

2. Plastic Free Businesses

We want local businesses to join the Plastic Free Guildford campaign by becoming Plastic Free Champions. We have a goal of signing up at least 30 businesses and retailers (including flagship employers) across the borough to remove, or replace with sustainable alternatives, at least three single-use plastics from their premises.  Experience Guildford will work alongside the Plastic Free Champions to promote their efforts and share ideas of how others can follow suit.

3. Plastic Free Allies

It’s important to spread the plastic-free message to a diverse audience and to make sure community groups and organisations are involved in the fight against avoidable single-use plastics. The goal is to sign up 50 Plastic Free Allies (half of all community spaces, at least one third of schools, and our college and universities to the campaign).

4. Plastic Free Events

Help grow the plastic-free movement by supporting community events across the borough, ranging from community clean-ups to fundraising events. The more people participating in Plastic Free Communities, the greater the success it will achieve.

5. Local Resistance Steering Group

In order to make the Guildford campaign a success, a steering group of local stakeholders has been set up to meet regularly to discuss the progress of the campaign and to organise completing the application for official Plastic Free Community status.

Individual Action

Anyone and everyone can get involved to be the resistance our environment needs. It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are or where you live. There are contributions you can make that will make a difference. Everyone has a role to play!

You don’t have to eliminate all plastics from your life – it’s just about trying to avoid the un-neccessary use of non-recyclable single-use plastics and switching to sustainable alternatives when possible.

A good way to get start is to sign up for a free personal action plan from Surfers Against Sewage.

If you’d like to help the Plastic Free Guildford campaign by helping to organise events, or by signing up your school, community building or workplace to become Plastic Free or would simply like to join the mailing list then please CLICK HERE.

Businesses

Your business can help reduce plastic pollution in the environment.  Reuse, recycle and find plastic-free options wherever possible.  Start fighting plastic waste and the pollution it causes by eliminating single-use plastic from your business and committing to alternatives.

If you’re interested in removing single-use plastic from your business or have already done so, let us know.  We will then ensure you are registered with Plastic Free Guildford and send you the full business toolkit, which offers further information and some examples of actions to undertake.

Why not join some of our businesses below and become a Plastic Free Guildford champion?

Amor Amora:

Biddles of Guildford:

Ceylon House of Coffee: 

-Switched plastic straws for paper ones

-Swapped plastic stirrers and cutlery for wooden ones

-Switched plastic bottles for glass ones instead and opted for cans

-Offer 10% off to customers who bring in reusable cups to have drinks from

Julia Lampard Salon:

-Julia Lampard wig lingerie product and packaging made from Eco friendly sources.

-Davines hair products have a Certificate B Corporation Eco-Packaging – no plastics

-Essential Haircare ranges are held in sustainable packaging made with plastic from natural origins.

-Recycling shampoo and conditioner filling station.

-Use Bio Degradable Gloves and Capes.

-Use ‘Who Gives a Crap’ toilet rolls, an eco-friendly company.

-Hand made face mask natural recycled cotton. They still use PPE masks for their clients as a precaution.

-Eco friendly recycled till rolls – no plastic covering.

-They are in the process of changing their bank to Triodos Bank. Triodos bank is rated by the magazine Ethical Consumer number one sustainable Bank.

-Energy source from Octopus, who are rated as number one for working to be eco-friendly.

-All their bags for clients to take products away in, are made from recycled paper.

-Clean products our natural and in clear plastic that is able to be recycled.

-They use recycled foils for highlights instead of an alternative to Procare Mech which is made from plastic.

-Recent Covid compliant screens are all made from toughen glass instead of Perspex.

-Window display is all natural dried plants no plastic.

-No using plastic aprons only washable gowns and aprons. Wash every time after use.

-All brochures are made from recycled paper with out any plastic coating.

-All clothing Julia wears  for work is made from natural fibres from Brora Made in uk.

-Member of Surrey Hills Enterprises.

– They use all plants for their main source of food delivery.

Partisan Deli:

-Use Vegware containers. Also encourage customers to bring their own containers which they are happy to fill for them.

-Use recycled brown paper or reusable cotton bags, instead of plastic bags.

-Use Vegware bread bags.

-Use either recycled wooden spoons or Vegware spoons for tastings.

-Use recycled bin liners.

-Reuse all packaging and chill packs where they can for wholesale orders and only use starch corn peanuts as packing, not plastic.

The Bear Garden:

V Cafe: 

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