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One month on from the launch of our latest environmental campaign pilot, One Bag Zero Waste, we look back at achievements to date and what exciting activities we have in store in the coming weeks.
Queens Park Community Council’s chair, Gilly Fitzhugh: “If we are to improve recycling rates, achieve our sustainable development goals on responsible production and consumption, create sustainable cities and communities and are serious about climate action, every school in every council in every country should be encouraged take up the ‘One Bag Zero Waste’ campaign, and other parts of the A Future without Rubbish project – it is good for education, good for recycling, good for local businesses and great for the local and planet’s environment.”
Asking the audience
Thank you to our young supporters from Queens Park and Wilberforce Primary Schools in Westminster for helping us to choose the campaign logo and make decisions on what was most important for the ‘One Bag’.
It was a bit more difficult than expected to find a bag produced from UK recycled material that is also recyclable.
So, we consulted the pupils and asked: “What’s the most important to you?
A) where the plastic comes from? Or,
B) that the bag is durable and recyclable?
They have chosen the latter, with design for end of life being an essential part of the campaign and contributing to teaching the principles of a circular economy approach.
Now, the pupils from both schools have been set the challenge of coming up with an environmentally inspired design to be printed on the bags. One winner from each school will be featured on the bag, alongside logos of One Bag Zero Waste supporters. Full school involvement from start to finish, is the nature of our game.
Headteacher of Wilberforce Primary School, Claire Macfie said: “As part of offering an education with character, it is important to us at Wilberforce Primary that children understand the part they have to play in their local as well as the global community.
“A Future without Rubbish’s new campaign 'One Bag Zero Waste' is an excellent example of how we can educate school children about the circular economy and provide economic incentives for our local community at the same time. Superb!”
Securing support
We are excited to have been welcomed by Defra and Environment Minister Rebecca Pow, supported by Queens Park Community Council and Westminster Council.
The Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, said: “A Future without Rubbish’s work to tackle environmental issues is admirable. I am always delighted to hear of new initiatives being launched to help solve the problems the environment is facing, and I am keen to lend my support to these organisations wherever possible.”
Thank you to Let’s Recycle, Green World and Wilberforce Primary School/United learning for their media support and taking our message to their readers.
Cllr Andrew Smith, Westminster Council Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways, added: “Increasing recycling rates and reducing unnecessary waste is a top priority in Westminster, and as a city that is addicted to plastic, we need to be making changes across the board to address this. Clear Public Space’s ‘a Future without Rubbish’ project is already undertaking excellent work in some of our schools, encouraging pupils to reduce their use of single-use plastic and promoting behaviour change amongst our city’s young people.”
What’s next?
Next week we are looking forward to collecting the pupils’ designs and putting them in front of our panel of judges, which includes Environment Minister Rebecca Pow MP, local architect Jonathan Tuckey and Queens Park Community Council’s Gill Fitzhugh. The winning artwork from each school will be announced in April through social media. Then, the bag will go into production, so watch this space.
We are already working with several local businesses, but there are still opportunities available to get involved if you would like to see your logo on the One Bag.
Our aim is to roll out the campaign to schools and Local Authorities across the UK and beyond, so we are busy talking to organisations in Oxford, Scotland and Germany.
How can you get involved?
• Support us on social media @clearpublicspace #onebagzerowaste #AFWR #Reuse #Recycle
• Sponsor us and have your logo displayed on the bag as an official campaign supporter (conditions and sponsorship levels apply)
• Make a donation to support the day-to-day running of the campaign
• Provide an incentive to your customers that use the bag. This could be 10% on their bill or 10 p off their shopping or giveaway
• Volunteer your time to join us at events
Contact us at info@clearpublicspace.org for more details, please!?
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