Local businesses tackle single-use plastic

Twelve Frome businesses have been awarded Plastic Free Champions status by Surfers Against Sewage for working hard to remove or replace at least three items of single-use plastic within their stores.

The businesses making these changes are: Bistro Lotte, Black Swan Café, Cordero Lounge, Garden Café, Go Retro, Lungi Babas, Moo and Two, Nook, Parsons Bakery, Stony Street House, The Old Bakehouse, The River House.

  Mayor of Frome, cllr Mark Dorrington said, “These businesses have taken great steps to help Frome on the journey to becoming single-use plastic free. Let’s see how many more can get involved by removing or replacing a minimum of three items of single-use plastic, or more, where they can.”

 Removing the option to purchase and/or use single-use plastics and instead offering suitable, sustainable alternatives for customers will help to bring about a change in behaviour and reduce the amount of throwaway plastic in our society.

 Some of the swaps they have made include replacing plastic cups with compostable ones, using glass condiment bottles, serving loose leaf tea in compostable bags, supplying wooden cutlery and paper bags when requested and using paper or corn-starch straws.

 Many of the businesses have also signed up to the Refill scheme, allowing people to bring their own water bottles into their stores to be filled with tap water for free. You can find your closest Refill station on their app or take a look at www.frometowncouncil .gov.uk/youre-welcome 

 If you own or work for a local business and would like to reduce single-use plastics in the work place, please look on the Frome Town Council website for a list of alternatives available that you might be interested in at www.frometowncouncil .gov.uk/plastic-free-businesses