On 12 July 2020 the Electric Palace and Transition Town Hastings hosted a free screening and online discussion about The Story of Plastic film.
The goal of the screening and discussion was to foster connection, spark dialogue, and create action about the man-made crisis of plastic pollution. Watch the trailer:
- The Story of Plastic Screening was watched by many, and after an animated online discussion we want to share with those of you who missed this event some local resources:
- Check out the website of Transition Town Hastings, where you can join up to receive information about all sorts of fabulous local projects.
- We also chatted with Hannah Robbins from Wonderfill shop on King's Road, St Leonards, where you can take your own containers for refilling. Check out her marvellous shop, now taking online orders.
- Andy Dinsdale at Strandliners cleans up rivers as well as the beaches in the local area, surveying for plastic pollution through identification, recording the data for organisations including the Marine Conservation Society, Surfers Against Sewage and Break Free From Plastic.
- “If we want to stop plastic pollution, we need to know what it is and where it comes from. By creating a data-rich picture of environmental pollution, we can begin to put the steps in place to stop it.” Beverley Coombes, local beach-cleaning volunteer.
- We were also joined by Tidy Up St Leonards, a voluntary group that holds events to tidy up and improve the streets, paths and woodlands of St Leonard's. Check them out!
- Information about beach cleans and surveys with The Marine Conservation Society website has information and advice about beach cleans and surveys, including the Great British Beach Clean, which will still take place from 18th – 25th September this year.
- Surfers Against Sewage promotes a beach clean/survey twice a year, in spring and autumn. The next should be in October. You can find out more on its website.
- Find information about brand audits on the Break free from plastic website.
- The Great Nurdle Hunt website gives lots of information about nurdles and their impact on the environment, including an ID chart. Carrying out surveys in the same place each time allows monitoring of the extent of the problem. Strandliners' last survey at the River Cuckmere counted 5000 nurdles and 5000 biobeads from just one square metre!
Check out local organisations involved in eco-friendly practices and promotion:
- Heart of Hastings
- SOS
- Tidy Up St Leonards
- Zero Waste Hastings
- Hastings Give & Takery
- HUB
- Energise South
- Common Treasury Community Garden
- Eve Apple Press
- Harbor Designs
- Washable Nappy Company
- Refill Hastings
- Plastic Free Hastings
- Surfers Against Sewage
- Wonderfill
- Hastings Furniture Service
- Warriors of Waste.