“Households in the UK are estimated to throw away 66 items of plastic packaging per week on average. This means that 1.85 billion plastic packaging items are thrown away each week across all UK households, equating to almost 100 billion items a year.” [Statista, August 23]
REFILL STORE | PLASTIC-FREE
eco haven, sells sustainable personal care products online + pop ups at local events, ecohavenstore.com
Buy The Weigh, refill store, Ticehurst, Wadhurst TN5 7AS, open Mon-Sat, 07790 748369
Organic Veg Box from Barcombe Nurseries, seasonal, local, organic and sustainable delivery, barcombenurseries.co.uk
Simply Weigh, zero waste shop, St Mary’s Walk, Hailsham BN27 1AF, open Tue-Sat, 01323 441467
The Season Lewes, Cliffe High St, Lewes BN7 2AH, wholefoods with refill & plastic-free products, 01273 359200
The Season Forest Row, 1-2 Medway House, Lower Rd, Forest Row RH18 5HE, wholefoods with refill & plastic-free products, 01342 824673
The Little Green Fox, Sussex-based online refill store, eco-friendly products thoughtfully sourced, thelittlegreenfox.co.uk
Wonderfill, refill store, Saint Leonards-on-sea TN37 6DY, open Wed-Sun, 01424 532104
NO WASTE! Community Fridge + Pantry
Crowborough Community Pantry, Beechview Parade TN6 3RA, Mon/Sat am, Tue, Thu eve, greentransitioncrowboroug.org.uk
Heathfield Community Fridge, Union Church, TN21 8LB, Mon-Thu 9.30-11am, find on Facebook
Langney Community Fridge, Eastbourne BN23 7DX, Tue 1-3pm, Facebook: @LangneyCommunityCentre
Lewes Community Fridge, 2 Fisher St, Sat 10.30am-12.30pm, find on Facebook
Newhaven Community Fridge, Denton Island Com. Centre BN9 9BA, Tue 11am-1.30pm, 01273 517250
Old Town Community Fridge, Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne BN21 1UE, Wed 8.30-10am, Facebook: @CommunityFridge
Pass it on Community Fridge, James West Community Centre, Hailsham BN27 3FY, daily 10am-1pm, find on Facebook
Peacehaven Community Supermarket, Meridian Centre BN10 8BB, Thu 11am-1.30pm, 01273 517250
Seaside Community Fridge, Eastbourne BN22 7NN, Tue-Thu 11am-3.30pm, find on Facebook
Shinewater Community Fridge, Family Hub, Eastbourne, Tue 10am-12pm, Facebook: @EHSFamilyHubs
Uckfield Community Fridge, Hub Garden TN22 1AL, Tue, Fri, Sat am, Wed pm, find on Facebook
Willingdon Trees Com. Fridge & Pantry, Eastbourne BN22 0UT, Mon -Fri 10am-3pm, willingdontrees.org.uk
TACKLING WAST, GIVEAWAY + USEFUL APPS
Freecycle, network for giving away or getting stuff for free, freecycle.org
Freegle App, online dating app for free stuff, ilovefreegle.org/mobile
Kitche, free food waste app designed to save you money and reduce your food waste at home
Olio Mobile, free app, giveaways, borrowing/lending things to reduce household, food waste, olioapp.com/en/
Refill [Water] app: www.refill.org.uk
Scrap Store Eastbourne, Arts & Crafts sessions using scraps, find on Facebook
Too Good to Go, free app connecting customers to restaurants/stores that have surplus unsold food, toogoodtogo.com
REPAIR CAFE
Crowborough Repair Café, Ashdown Junior School TN6 2NT, monthly 1st Sat, 10am-12.30pm, find on Facebook
Heathfield & Horam Repair Café, Village Hall TN21 0JE, monthly 2nd Sat, 9.30am-noon, find on Facebook
Lewes Repair Café, Landport Community Hub BN7 7SU, monthly 1st Sat, 2-5pm, find on Facebook
Seaford Repair Café, Mercread Youth Centre BN25 1AB, monthly 4th Sat, 12-3.30pm, find on Facebook
Uckfield Repair Café, Victoria Pavilion TN22 5DJ, monthly 4th Sat, 9.30am-12pm, find on Facebook
PLASTIC-FREE BABY
The Washable Nappy Company, free demonstrations & trial kits, 07833 927210
Plastic Free Baby, eco-friendly online shop, web: plasticfree.baby
Wealden Council’s FREE REAL Reusable Nappy Trial Kit, test before buying, apply online
BEACH CLEAN
Seaford Beach Clean, monthly 1st Sun, check Facebook: @PlasticFreeSeaford
Eastbourne Beach Clean, monthly 2nd Sun, check Facebook: @PlasticFreeEastbourne
COMMUNITY GARDENS
Crowborough Community Orchard, Herne Rd TN6 2NP, local community project run in partnership with Ashdown Primary School.
Gather Community Garden, Churchdale Allotments, Eastbourne BN23 6QY
Peacehaven Community Garden.
GREENER PRODUCTS & BUSINESSES [Sussex-Based]
Get Bikery, eCargo Bike CIC based in Lewes and Newhaven providing a zero-carbon alternative to short journeys ordinarily made by cars and vans, getbikery.org/
Gomi Design, unique power banks, portable speakers made of 100% waste & repairable, gomi.design
It’s Our Planet Too, award winning eco activity & subscription boxes for children, itsourplanettoo.co.uk
Maku UK, based in Hastings, making useful, beautiful things from leather industry discards, slippers, gloves, throws and more, maku.uk
Park Farm Cottage Bee Products, Maresfield, beewax wraps, candles, honey, bee experiences and more.
INFORMATION | ADVOCACY
Newhaven Green Centre CIC, aims to make it easy for people to live ‘greener’ lifestyles and save money at the same time [newhavengreencentre.com/].
The Lewes Climate Hub, 32 High Street, Lewes, BN7 2LU. 1st Thursday of the month: Talking Rubbish with Neil Peters, 12-2pm; every 2nd Wednesday of the month: Climate Eco Café, 6.30-8pm; every third Friday of the month: Stich & Mend, 11am-1pm, visit website for more information [lewesclimatehub.org/].
The Green Transition Crowborough, community-led group encouraging local action on climate change and sustainability [www.greentransitioncrowborough.org.uk/]
INSTAGRAM INFLUENCERS
Not Needing New: Instagram: @not.needing.new + book: ‘Not Needing New: A Practical Guide to Finding the Joy of Enough’ by Anna Kilpatrick (local to East Sussex!)
Greener living ‘guru’ and author, Instagram: @nancy.birtwhistle
Rollover Leftovers, Instagram: @ellypear
Summer:
PLASTIC FREE JULY
and a little bit of the story behind it: The initiative began in 2011 by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (founder of the Plastic Free Foundation) and a small team in Western Australia, decided to try and avoid single-use plastic for the month of July. They kept any plastic they did use in a dilemma bag, and shared their wins and areas for improvement. And so, Plastic Free July was born [www.plasticfreejuly.org].
PICK YOUR OWN
There are so many good things about PYO. Not only it is a lovely day out with the kids, but it also shows them how the fruits and veg grow, and how they taste when they are picked perfectly ripe. It also supports the local farmers and saves on packaging!
West Sussex:
Dell Quay PYO, Crouchers Farm, near Chichester, PO20 7EQ. All-weather PYO strawberry, raspberry, sunflower, pumpkin and Christmas trees, www.dellquaypyo.co.uk/
New House Farm, nr Horsham RH12 4RU. PYO strawberries (June, usually for 2 weeks); PYO sunflowers (August), check website/social media for picking dates, farm shop & tea room, events, www.newhousefarmshop.co.uk
Paternosters Farm Fruit Farm & Christmas Trees, Sloughgreen Lane, Haywards Heath RH17 5SL. PYO apples (Cox, Russet, Idared), find on Facebook.
Somerley Fields, Tile Barn Lane, Earnley, Chichester PO20 7JF, PYO sunflower, PYO pumpkin, www.somerleyfields.com/
Spring Gardens Nursery, Washington, nr Pulborough RH20 3BS. PYO all kind of berries, currants, plums and seasonal veggies, 01903 892225, springgardensnursery.uk/pyo
East Sussex:
Grow and Wild Flower Farm, Great Park Farm, Catsfield TN33 9DT. PYO flowers, check website/social media for dates.
Maynards Fruit Farm, Maynards Farm, Ticehurst, TN57HQ. PYO fruits, berries, plums, apples, rhubarb, June-Sep, check website/social media, maynardsfruit.co.uk
Oast Farm, Lephams Bridge, Buxted TN224AU. Not PYO but has a farm shop and grows apples/pears, offers apple press services if you would like to juice your own apples, oastfarmbuxted.co.uk/
Southbrockwells Farm, Bradfords Lane, Little Horsted, Uckfield TN22 5QS. Daily freshly cut asparagus (not PYO though), season starts around St. George’s Day (23rd April) and finishes at summer solstice (21st June), southbrockwellsfarm.com
Tibbs Farm, near Rye TN31 6AR. Pick your own all kinds of berries, currants, plums, apricots, mid-June to end August, check website; Christmas trees, Nov-Dec; café, 07596 741680, tibbsfarm.com
Winter:
GREENER CHRISTMAS
Do your own plastic-free. Home-made gifts are awesome! From Christmas decoration/crackers, gifts to food prep!
Reuse wrapping paper, children’s drawings, upcycle brown paper, try cloth wrapping (#furoshiki).
Be mindful with what you buy! Vouchers, experiences, days out make fabulous memories!
Why not buy second-hand and plan for a Secret Santa!
Use your leftovers! Be creative! ‘Post-Christmas Dinner Tapas’!
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