Redcliffe & Temple BID aims to reduce waste by encouraging customers to bring their own lunch box

We are pleased to have launched an initiative to reduce waste in the BID area’s street food markets by encouraging customers to bring their own lunch box to the market.

Following an initial trial at Thursday’s Temple Quay market, and ahead of World Refill Day on 16 June, we are delighted to be expanding the project to the Wednesday and Friday market at Finzels Reach.

With traders at both markets now accepting reusable lunchboxes this provides us with a big opportunity to reduce waste generated in the BID area.

We’re very much aware that our markets produce a lot of food packaging waste and we’re always looking at ways to make our markets as sustainable as possible. Although we already enforce sustainable policies at our markets; eradicating packaging altogether seems like the ultimate goal. Working with Redcliffe & Temple BID on this campaign will hopefully raise awareness that this one simple change can make all the difference and we’re looking forward to seeing what impact it has both environmentally and socially.

Sophie Bowden, Finzels Reach Market Director

We’re grateful for the support of a number of companies who have partnered with the BID to promote the initiative, purchasing lunchboxes for their office, to be taken by staff to the market.

We are now looking for more companies to partner with the BID to promote the initiative by purchasing lunch boxes to be stored in their office kitchens. Following feedback from customers at the Temple Quay market we now believe that this is the key route to make our initiative a success.

Get involved

Geraldine Roul from Square Route Events who organise the Temple Quay market spoke about how they and the traders are increasingly aware of the waste generated by the market which serves an average of 800 lunches each week with all the containers currently going into landfill.

“Over the past couple of years, we’ve been looking at various opportunities to reduce waste from the market and the bid has provided a real catalyst for us to bring this in, we really hope it will inspire people around the city to take action.”

We know from our consultation that businesses, staff and residents in the area are really keen for the district to set the standard for waste reduction and our contribution towards a net-zero city. It’s been fantastic to work with Temple Quay market on this and to now expand the market to Finzels Reach is testament to the desire for waste reduction in the city. We really hope that it can show other markets around the city and the country that we can significantly reduce waste from our popular food markets.

Tom Swithinbank, BID Project Manager

Press Releases - Sustainability

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