Rethinking, Reusing and Refilling in Wimborne

The town received the status of becoming a ‘Plastic Free Community’ in 2018, awarded by Surfers Against Sewage who spearhead the plastic-free community movement. 

Wimborne was the second town in Dorset to be given this status and the 32nd town in the UK. Today there are 620 Plastic-Free accredited communities in the country. 

To qualify for this status the town must have a certain number of businesses hailed as plastic-free champions alongside campaigning community groups and organisations working at strategic level and all working together to reduce use of single-use plastic in the town. These are called the ‘four pillars’ of the Plastic-Free Community. 

Pillar 1 – Strategic

Wimborne BID and Wimborne Minster Town Council. Both work closely, empowering and collaborating, supporting events and promoting the plastic-free message. 

Pillar 2 – Plastic-free Business Champions

Swapping out single-use plastic for reusable items in shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels and businesses 

Pillar 3 – Community allies

Local schools, Cubs, Scouts, Guides, Rainbows groups plus venues and businesses, such as the Wimborne Royal British Legion, who reduce waste, swap out single use plastic where possible and promote the ‘plastic free’ message. 

Pillar 4 – Events

Monthly Repair Café, school and community groups workshops, community Litter Picking, Planet Wimborne Green Festival, Library of Things loaning bunting, mugs, litter pickers and festival cups, and World Book Day outfit loans.

The Plastic Free Community mission explains: “It’s not about removing all plastic from our lives. It’s about kicking our addiction to throwaway plastic and changing the system that produces it.”

Sarah Wise, co-founder of Wimborne War on Waste (WWOW), a grassroots community group who set up to raise awareness of the environmental impact of single-use plastic says: “There’s a whole range of single-use plastic alternatives that are easy to introduce and inexpensive in the long term.”

“For example, many of Wimborne’s eateries have replaced single use sachets of sauce with refillable glass bottles or introduced reusable glasses for water. Offices and organisations like Teachers Building Society also use recycled paper and notebooks. It can be as simple as swapping to a refillable soap dispenser in the staff bathroom.”

The town must reapply for status every year. Sarah Wise added: “We’d love to see more businesses get on board, get involved and get accredited.”

“With environmental issues hitting the headlines daily, there is a huge amount of eco-anxiety. Our goal is always about collaboration – finding like-minded people and finding creative ways to make a difference and influence behavioural change in our own town. Without a doubt there needs to be a huge gear shift in political policy nationwide, but small things can make a difference.”

Wimborne War on Waste is also seeking more volunteers. “Our litter picks are not just about tidying up the town. We feed information back to Surfers Against Sewage who collate the data and use it to lobby government. This citizen science is an important step in driving change at a government level.” 

Ione Crossley is a BID Director and co-owner of Salamander Cookshop, one of Wimborne’s Plastic Free Champions. Ione says, “Wimborne’s Businesses understand that customers expect them to be doing what they can for the environment. We value our partnership with Wimborne War on Waste and also Planet Wimborne, who support the BID’s sustainability initiatives and are always available to help businesses become more sustainable.”

Top tips on how to become a plastic-free business champion:

1. Do a quick audit of what you’re using in your business that is disposable
2. Find an alternative that is reusable and swap it out
3. Don’t spend lots of money – be aware of ‘green washing’

To find out more about how you can reduce single-use plastic in your business, contact Sarah Wise at wimbornewaronwaste@gmail.com or visit https://plasticfree.org.uk/get-involved/business/

To find out more about how you can get involved with environmental groups in Wimborne, visit https://www.planetwimborne.org/community-groups

Some of the ‘Plastic-Free Champions in Wimborne

• Cloisters
• Ellis Jones Solicitors
• Embr Candles
• Douch & Son
• Fairground Shop
• Green Man
• Gullivers Bookshop
• Hear Clear
• Kings Head Hotel
• Kyleigh Papercuts
• Long Johns
• Museum of East Dorset
• No 9 on the Green Cafe
• Paul Keating Butchers
• Piccolo Mondo
• Salamander
• Spill the Beans
• Squash Court Café
• The Lion Hotel
• Walford Mill
• Wimborne Community Centre
• Wimborne Kindergarten