Beaconsfield has joined a network of communities across the UK who are leading the way to tackle single-use plastic at the source.

The town is the first in Buckinghamshire to have been awarded Plastic Free Community status by marine conservation charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), in recognition of the work it has done to start reducing the impact of single-use plastic on the environment.

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Resident Jackie Slipper and a small core team started the campaign in early 2018 to raise awareness of the need to refill, re-use and recycle and to reduce dependence on single use plastics.

Registering with the SAS Plastic Free Communities movement, Jackie, and her team pulled together key organisations and businesses in the town to put in place a five-point plan.

The objectives included; setting up a community led steering group, encouraging the use of the SAS Plastic Free Schools education programme, getting local council commitment and working with businesses, organisations and community groups to spread the word and minimise the amount of disposable plastics they use.

The team received much interest from community groups and are currently working with Beaconsfield W1 to install a drinking fountain on the town green.

The National Film and Television School, Sargent-Disc and Beckonscot Model Village have all obtained Plastic Free Champion status as have local café/restaurants, Benedict’s Store, The Beech House and Fego.

All have removed at least three single use plastic items and actively voiced their support for the project.

In May last year the group entered the 'Beaconsfield Decides' competition, which was set up by Bucks County Council for people to vote on the community project they think should get funding.

The team received the most amounts of votes and got a grant of £5000 to help with their work.

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They're now delighted to have obtained the Plastic Free Communities Status after working for two years to achieve this.

Rachel Yates, SAS Plastic Free Communities Project Officer, said: “It’s great to see the work that Beaconsfield has done to reduce the availability of avoidable plastics, raise awareness and encourage people to refill and reuse.

“We have almost seven hundred communities across the UK working to reduce single use plastic and the impact it has on our environment.

"Every step those communities and the individuals in them take is a step towards tackling the problem at source, challenging our throwaway culture and encouraging the habit and system changes we need to see.”