Ultra-sustainable London venue, 15Hatfields, has embraced the new Government ban on single-use plastic, but has said it doesn’t plan on stopping there. No stranger to an eco-friendly approach, it's an establishment that has long-followed such practices.
'Since opening our doors in 2008, we’ve consciously avoided single-use plastic – saving tens of thousands of items being thrown away each year,’ general manager of 15Hatfields Warren Campbell says.
The items being banned include single-use cutlery, plates, bowls, trays and certain polystyrene cups and food containers, with the Government’s legislation coming into place from October 2023.
The company has been campaigning to influence clients, suppliers and the event industry to follow suit after eliminating such products from its own venue over the past four years. However, still unsatisfied, 15Hatfields would like the ban extended further believing it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the plastic problem. With microplastics polluting rivers and seas, Campbell would like to see this ban covering items such as single-use plastic water bottles, in order to protect the planet for future generations.
'Water bottles are one of the biggest sources of single-use plastic, but one of our success stories. Thanks to our strict no bottled water’policy and filtration solution, to date we’ve prevented over one million plastic water bottles ending up in landfill.' He says.
Campbell believes that the responsibility falls on everyone to make the right choices and ensure the correct steps are taken to more sustainable practices. Whilst appreciating that starting your sustainability journey can be daunting, Campbell has some advice to help others who are looking to reduce their single-use plastic usage. This includes working through a list of single-use plastic products currently used, to determine if they are really needed, and then looking for alternatives for any essentials.
Campbell believes the difference in cost is not as steep as most might think in the hospitality industry, and that it’s worth reviewing your list twice a month to see what changes can be made.
A wealth of information to assist other venues eradicate single-use plastic can be accessed on 15Hatfields’ website.
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