Friday 10-05-2019 - 11:24

At Central we’re always looking for new ways to cut down on plastic use and promote sustainable living.

We’ve already introduced a 10p charge for disposable bag use (ahead of government legislation), and introduced a reusable bag available for 20p. We will also soon be swapping out our current disposable bags for a biodegradable alternative.

But we felt we could go further. We all know how difficult it is to get rid of plastic bags (everyone has a drawer full!), and we wanted to further reduce the amount of plastic bags we sell and that you buy (over 40,000 in the last year!). That’s why we’re very proud to introduce our new in-store plastic bag recycling scheme!

Precious Plastic Lancaster, with help from Green Lancaster, have produced an upcycled storage unit for you to come and recycle your unwanted plastic bags. It's big, it’s green and can be found just inside our front door next to the ATM. The main body is built from wood salvaged from campus accommodation refurbishment, the top hatch knob was created from recycled LDPE by Precious Plastic Lancaster, with other materials salvaged from the Don’t Ditch It project and the Ecohub.

When you need a bag for your shopping, feel free to take one either from the main storage unit, or from one of our dispensers (which can be found next to the comment suggestion box near the coffee machine). Of course you can still buy one of our reusable or biodegradable bags (for a charge), but with enough bags donated, we aim to say goodbye to buying and selling plastic bags for good within your student union store!

Visit the Facebook Page to find out more about Precious Plastics Lancaster