Stroud District Action on Plastic (SDAP) is an award winning volunteer group based in Gloucestershire. We work with individuals, businesses, schools, clubs and other community organisations who would like to reduce their plastic footprint.
The group started meeting in 2017 to try and address the excessive use of plastic packaging in our lives, and the growing problem of plastic litter in the environment. For our very first project, we persuaded over 30 shops, cafes and businesses in and around our high street to offer free tap water refills. We approached the town council with a petition for a public water fountain in the centre of Stroud, and subsequently a modern fountain was installed.
In 2019 we signed up to the Plastic Free Communities scheme run by the marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage. The scheme sets out five objectives with specific, measurable targets that have to be met, which include working with local councils, businesses, schools, community allies and individuals to reduce single-use plastic. In 2020 we met all our targets and received the plastic free community accreditation for the whole of the Stroud district.
In 2020 we put together the Action on Plastic website with a view to expand our work into the county and beyond. The website sets out ways in which anyone can begin their plastic-free journey, with detailed how-to-guides, lists of local shops and repair cafes, events and much more. We would like to offer any interested groups to use our website concept and template for their own communities. Contact us if you’d like to find out more.
In June 2022, Stroud District Action on Plastic was one of 244 groups in the UK to receive the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for outstanding work in the community. The award recognises the work of the many volunteers and supporters who have joined SDAP in eliminating unnecessary plastic in our district. Plastic pollution is still a growing problem and, as well as doing what we can locally, we are also joining other organisations to lobby the government and big corporations for better policies and legislation. Most recently SDAP signed an open letter for World Refill Day and supported Greenpeace’s The Big Plastic Count.
Upcoming Events
There are no upcoming events.
Meet some of our plastic free business champions:
