PlastiCity
What was the PlastiCity project?
In recent years, Southend was involved in PlastiCity. This was a 3-year research project aimed at increasing the recycling of commercial and industrial plastics. By developing new strategies and solutions, the project looked to boost recycling rates from 20 to 30% up to over 50%.
This project was carried out across towns and cities in:
- Belgium
- France
- Netherlands
- UK
Southend was the only UK city to take part in PlastiCity. This provided a unique opportunity to explore innovative ways to reduce the plastics polluting our land, sea, and air.
The focus of PlastiCity was to unlock the potential of ‘lost plastics’. These are materials that are difficult to recycle and often discarded after a single use. By finding ways to collect and recycle more of these plastics, the project aimed to reduce pollution and improve living conditions for over half a million people across the above nations.
PlastiCity Pledge
Working closely with local businesses and organisations, PlastiCity encouraged Southend’s community to rethink how we use plastics and adopt more sustainable methods of managing our waste. One way they could do this was by signing up to join the PlastiCity Pledge. This was a commitment by businesses to reduce plastic waste and improve recycling performance. This would be with the support of the PlastiCity team, offering expert guidance.
Those who joined the Pledge received recognition on social media for their recycling efforts and were celebrated as community sustainability leaders. Participants also benefited from free training and resources, networking opportunities, cost-saving initiatives, and valuable insights to help them prepare for future environmental regulations.
Although the PlastiCity project has now ended, its impact continues through the organisations that took part and the lessons learned. To see which local organisations joined the PlastiCity Pledge, you can explore this interactive map.
Watch this video to learn more about PlastiCity. We hope this project continues to inspire others to champion the circular economy and reduce plastic waste across Southend, helping to build a cleaner, more sustainable future for all.