Plastics Campaign Update - May 2019

Feedback from the Planet Hub day
Our screening of "A Plastic Ocean" at the Festival of Debate event went well with interest in the campaigns at our stall, and it was felt the film was an effective way of inspiring people to potentially get more involved. It was suggested we could have taken contact details so we could invite people personally to come to a local group meeting.

Schools
Richard is working with local schools, with a range of age groups and activities. There are also some excellent resources produced by marine conservation groups that could be useful for schools.

MPs
The other current priority is getting local MPs on board. Likely to be more information on Plastics campaigning shared at Groundswell. Potential actions were discussed  to raise awareness. Related issues were also discussed including incineration policy and role of INEOS.

Plastics Campaign - April 2019

“A Plastic Ocean” film screening with Festival of Debate is at 2:30 pm on Saturday 11 May at Theatre Deli and we will need to staff a stall during the day and Justin will be able to promote it on Twitter and take photographs. Click here for more details

Richard and Amy will discuss future support for the MPs campaign to promote a Plastics Pollution Action Plan Bill and the petition.

Plastics Campaign Update March 2019

Richard had done a talk and activities with Year 4 at Rivelin. Shaun has been in touch with Amy Parker originally from Bristol, but now living in the Peak District. She has lots of experience with beach clean-up activities and a link to the producer of Plastic Ocean so might be able to provide additional contacts. The Plastic Ocean film screening with Festival of Debate has a 2 hour slot (starting at 2:30 at Theatre Deli as part of the One Planet Hub Day) so there will no be time for more than a short discussion/Q&A.

See https://www.facebook.com/events/976614342538285/ for more details of the Festival of Debate event which takes place on Saturday May 11.

MPs’ plastics campaigning group  – 30 MPs attended the meeting at Westminster to launch a campaign to support plastics legislation.

Plastics Campaign Update - February 2019

Sheffield FoE will screen “A Plastic Ocean” film with Festival of Debate on 11th May at Theatre Deli as part of the festival’s Environment Day. 2:30-4:30 for film + talk

Friends of the Earth are launching their Plastic Pollution Bill. Ask your MP to support it.  2 places are available for the FoE event on 25thFeb at the House of Commons. Anyone interested in going can contact Richard through admin@sheffieldfoe.co.uk

Gove has announced national plans to standardise recycling.

Plastics Update - January 2019

Richard had a successful meeting with Louise Haigh to ask her to support development of the MPs’ plastics group to campaign for legislation. She is happy to also support by asking a parliamentary question on plastics.

Demand for plastic-free products/shopping growing – “Unwrapped” on Crookes Road getting 50-70 customers a day (100 at the weekend).

Screening of “Plastic Ocean” planned for 11 May as a Festival of Debate event. Action: Shaun to check plans with Drew who is organising and inviting Simon Bowen; Richard to invite Louise Haigh.

Black Plastic pots – Shaun has suggested taking plastics that cannot be recycled back to the retailer to ask them if they can re-use/recycle, at least to raise awareness.

MoveGB -  A national gym has branded water bottles and have asked for endorsement. Action – to share information with Drew and Beatrice and potentially request advice from national FoE.

Plastics Campaign Update - December 2018

Richard is meeting Louise Haigh in January as part of national campaign to get MPs on side and identify a group that could champion legislation (8 already signed up).

A Plastic Ocean - film screening with Festival of Debate and the Light Cinema is being planned and Louise could potentially be invited.

Plastics Campaign Update - November 2018

Drew gave an update about the screening of the film A Plastic Ocean. We hope to join forces with the Light Cinema and the Festival of Debate for spring 2019. Simon confirmed that national FoE should be able to provide an appropriate speaker who could re-iterate the FoE environmental line on plastics.

Richard participated in a national teleconference which discussed contacting supportive MPs and subsequently contacted Louise Hague but has not yet had a reply. He has requested a meeting and offered a photo opportunity.

Plastics Campaign Update - October 2018

Shaun reported that Liddy has been in discussions with Sheffield Festival Of Debate 2019. They approached Sheffield Friends of the Earth regarding an environmentally themed day during the festival.

Drew discussed the options for screening ‘A Plastic Ocean’ in the near future. Friends of the Earth Sheffield hope to secure a viable venue by November. Drew to complete the event proposal for Sheffield Festival of Debate 2019 before 5th November.

Friends of the Earth's Plastic Action Plan is in the final stages and will be released soon. Anyone interested in discussing the plan with their local MP should contact Edward Burke (Edward.burke@foe.co.uk). Please also let us know in the Sheffield group.

Richard and Drew discussed the recent meeting with 65th Ecclesall Brownies where Friends of the Earth Sheffield provided a talk and some fun activities centred on plastic waste and it’s threat to marine life. We would be pleased to consider holding similar events on Climate and Environmental related themes for any group: children, youth or adults. Please contact us if you're interested. Shaun suggested it may be possible to take bookings for future talks and event evenings through the website and/or Facebook page

Richard to take the Friends of the Earth national conference call on the 17th October

Richard to send a response to the recent enquiry regarding monitoring emissions at the Sheffield incinerator

Take Acton - Can you help with our next stall?
Richard will be running the Friend of the Earth stall at the Peace & Craft Fair on the 3rd of November.  Set up from 9 am (stall to be set up by 10:45am latest)Anyone willing to help run the stall can sign up here: https://doodle.com/poll/bnnbf7tw7encne95

Plastics Campaign - September 2018 Update

Richard and Drew met with 65th Ecclesall Brownies on 24th September for a talk and some activities raising awareness about the huge problem plastic waste is presenting, particularly to marine life.
Look out for our petitions on this including the one highlighting microfibres in clothes and washing. See https://act.friendsoftheearth.uk/act/micro-fibres-petition.

We would be pleased to consider holding similar events on Climate and Environmental related themes for any group: children, youth or adults. Please contact us if you're interested.

We hope to show the film "A Plastic Ocean" at some time in the near future. Watch this space for further developments.

We missed the FoE conference call on developing the plastics campaign as Drew had to work.

Campaign Update - August 2018

Fracking

• Richard provided an update. The Marsh Lane application was approved largely on grounds of putative energy needs.
• Sheffield Climate Alliance are continuing to meet regularly with councillor Jack Scott.
• A training workshop for councillors, with the Council’s Chief Planning Officer and two independent experts, is likely to be 26 or 27 September. It will look at the issues of waste fracking water at Ecclesfield.
• Alan and Richard visited the Mission Springs and Tinker Lane protection camps. 
• Detailed information on recent anti-fracking news and plans available from Sheffield Against Fracking website and newsletter.

Plastics

• The Deep in Hull apparently don’t want groups for their beach clean activity so we have dropped this as a social event.
• We were contacted by the Brownies to see if we could do a talk about plastics. Richard will follow this up and offer to do a talk.
• Our main campaign focus at the minute is the opportunity for organising a local film screening  of  “A Plastic Ocean” with a panel discussion afterwards. Shaun has identified a number of options that he and Bert will follow up in terms of collaborative showings: We have the opportunity to screen “Blue Heart” about damming rivers but we feel it will be difficult to build up an audience. 

Air Pollution

• We are aware of national Friends of the Earth's Freedom of Information request to the council to obtain a copy of the feasibility study for Nitrogen Dioxide Compliance (required by DEFRA by 31 March 2018, under the Environment Act 1995, Air Quality Direction 2017) which identifies options for compliance with legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide. The council haven't provided this as the document is still in draft. Friends of the Earth are working on this and we will help if we can. 

Plastics Campaign - July 2018

We have resources for the plastics campaign and a national petition. We have used these on our recent stalls at Sharrow and Stannington.

The Deep Beach Clean organisers have not got back to Shaun so we don’t have any further information. We could do something locally instead with local community groups in Sheffield which would also help with local engagement with other groups.

Regional Office support - Simon Bowens has asked what support or help we need with campaigning or local group development. We will ask him how he can help with some very specific support to get more people engaged with the group and contributing to our campaigns to ensure the group is sustainable.

Other News - July 2018

Bristol FoE contacted us about trees and Shaun put them in touch with STAG and the Green Party.

Beatrice contacted a journalism student wanting an interview about public transport but they did not respond

Shaun has been writing to supermarkets and shops about reducing packaging and plastic waste. He has also contacted  the council about local changes to recycling and has asked about tetra paks which only have 2 recycling points in Sheffield.

Next Meeting: Mon 20 Aug at 7.30pm (Chair Richard; Note taker Liddy)

Plastics Campaign Update - June 2018

Stalls
FoE have been developing their own plastics campaign and produced sign up/petition sheets and stickers, posters, flyers etc.  We discussed their stall suggestions and could run a competition for ideas to reduce plastic waste as well as collecting contact details for future campaigning on July stalls. ACTION: Shaun to order campaign materials to be sent to Richard for 7th July and confirm the stickers are plastic free.

Beach Clean
A beach clean is being organised by The Deep under the Humber Bridge in Hull on 22 September. If enough people are interested then we could organise to travel by train or maybe car sharing. ACTION: Shaun to ask for further information about arrangements and equipment being provided. Please let us know if you are interested in going.

Film Screening
There is an opportunity to show the film “Plastic Ocean”. ACTION: Shaun to check availability/licensing with national FoE

Plastics Campaign - May 2018

Bert gave a report back from the plastics meeting which discussed the idea for a local campaign with a specific aim/message. Charlotte is planning to start by talking to café owners about sourcing non-plastic items to replace single use plastic. The impact could be evaluated and successful local business could be given an award for reduced plastic use. Need to consider council involvement.

Action:

• Sheffield Friends of the Earth are financially contributing to the Plastics Free Project start up and will assist with future fund-raising efforts.
• We could also support some fundraising/awareness raising activities.