Plastic Free Thanet

Plastic Free Thanet is a community-led campaign to stop single-use plastic on our streets and beaches.

Plastic Free July 2023 marks our first birthday. In our first year we:

• gained unanimous commitment from Thanet District Council for Thanet to become a Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Community
• brought together existing Plastic Free Communities initiatives in Margate and Broadstairs and started new ones in Ramsgate and Minster
• brought together 15 local businesses to understand issues and work together for action in our Plastic Free Thanet Business Forums
• supported 40 businesses through discussions with our volunteers and/or promotion in our newsletter.

Find out more and get involved below!

About Plastic Free Thanet

Plastic Free Thanet aims to reduce single-use plastic across Thanet, working with local businesses and community groups. We're using the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Communities model to bring everyone on board.

Reducing the amount of plastic we use is a tangible action individuals and businesses can take and a powerful way to engage people in conversations on this, and wider environmental issues.

As well as helping to keep Thanet's beaches and waterways cleaner this summer, we hope the campaign will raise environmental awareness and increase environmental action among businesses and individuals.

See our latest newsletter and sign up to receive monthly updates, tips and news from across the community.

Plastic Free Thanet is made up of Plastic Free Margate, Plastic Free Minster, Plastic Free Broadstairs and Plastic Free Ramsgate. Meet the team.

Hear Jess talking about our campaign launch beach clean, Rise Up Clean Up and more on AcademyFM Thanet with Paul Rutters.

Our plan is to:

• Bring together plastic-free initiatives in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Minster along with other community groups, Thanet District Council and business leaders.
• Survey businesses to understand the issues and how we can help. Fill in our 10-minute business survey now. 
• Sign businesses up as Plastic Free Champions and promote their efforts.
• Recruit and train campaigners to speak with the public and local businesses, pushing for the removal of single use plastic and making links with other environmental issues and initiatives.

If you'd like to be involved in any way, please contact [email protected]

What can my business do?

1. Fill in our business survey to let us know how we can tailor our support to you.
2. Join a local beach clean or do one of your own - the Million Mile Clean site has tips and resources.
3. Become a Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Champion by removing three items of single use plastic from your business offer. (We can help, get in touch with Jess.)
4. Become a Refill station to show customers you care (you'll get a window sticker and be added to the award-winning Refill app).
5. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive tips, news and updates on activity in Thanet.​

What can individuals do?

1. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive tips, news and updates on activity in Thanet.
2. Join a local beach clean with Rise Up Clean Up or another group in your area - if you can't find a group, start one! (The Million Mile Clean site has tips and resources.)
3. See City to Sea's 12 Ways to reduce plastic pollution.
4. Sign up to get your Surfers Against Sewage's Plastic Free Communities individual action plan.
5. Be part of the Refill Revolution and be sure to reuse and refill as much as possible.

About the issue

Single-use plastic is a huge environmental problem and nowhere is this more apparent than along our coastlines.

In Margate alone, litter picking action group Rise Up, Clean Up removed 3000kg of plastic waste and rubbish from our beaches over a year and a report from Thanet District Council's coastal waste review working party showed that clean up efforts costing £186,000 in 2021 were still not enough to stem the tide of waste. COVID-19 hasn't helped either - worldwide, single-use plastic consumption went up by 250-300% during the pandemic.

"Cleaning up isn't enough to solve the problem. We need to turn off the plastic tap."

Plastic is difficult to recycle (only about 9% of plastic actually gets recycled), ends up in our waterways, harms wildlife and damages our own health. It's also a large and growing contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming our planet, leading to extreme weather and rising ocean levels.

Further information

• Plastic is part of the wider climate and biodiversity emergencies, find out more on the Thanet Council website.
• Understanding the extent of these crises can lead to eco-anxiety - the Climate Psychology Alliance has some helpful FAQs and resources.
• Thanks to Sea Changers and Kent Community Foundation for making this work possible.