A HOME interiors shop based in Launceston is encouraging one and all to join the fight against plastic, writes Rosie Cripps.

The Byre — owned by Sarah Bradley and based in the Market House Arcade in Launceston, along with its sister shop Katie and Flora — offers quirky, fairtrade, organic and ethically-sourced home items and accessories.

Sarah has always been passionate about living and running her business sustainably, and with the war on plastic, Sarah has started stocking more sustainable items for her customers to purchase.

The ‘ecoffee’ cups, available in three different sizes, were among the first of Sarah’s more sustainable items to be featured in the shop, although she aims to source all of her products from ethical manufacturers and stockists where possible.

With a variety of patterns and designs, the coffee cups have been encouraging more people from the Launceston community to come in, buy a cup and take it to the businesses in the town that support the refill aim — joining the war on disposable coffee cups that has been highlighted nationally recently.

Bude’s Deb Rosser has been a leading figure in this campaign. She has manufactured her own reusable coffee cups and water bottles through her ReFILL Bude scheme, to encourage people to refill their own cups and bottles in cafes and restaurants rather than buying single-use plastic water bottles and disposable coffee cups that end up in landfill.

As well as the ecoffee cups, Sarah has introduced a range of pastel-coloured and floral Chilly’s bottles, which keep water cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours; ‘beeswax wraps’, which are a sustainable alternative to cling-film and plastic sandwich bags to wrap food for lunch; and author Ellie Jackson’s children’s stories Duffy’s Lucky Escape and Marli’s Tangled Tale.

Sarah said: “We’re joining the plastic revolution, and we’re trying to get in and promote it. I’ve always been passionate about the environment. Before we moved to Cornwall, we built a sustainable home in London — which was actually featured on Grand Designs! We built it sustainably out of timber, we used eco paint — I think if you build something new, it’s got to be sustainable.

“Most of our suppliers are sustainable, so we try and stock Fairtrade, organic and ethical products as much as possible.”

Ellie Jackson’s stories Duffy’s Lucky Escape and Marli’s Tangled Tale have been a hit with local schoolchildren, after the author visited a number of schools in the Post area to share the message. These books, beautifully illustrated by Launceston’s Laura Callwood, are also on offer in The Byre.

Sarah said: “If we can get the children in on it, it will encourage the adults to do the same. If a child says, ‘mummy, you shouldn’t be using that plastic bottle’, then it might make the parent stop and think for a moment. It’s brilliant if we can get the kids involved.”

Sarah said that it’s all about being ‘mindful’ of daily habits, and that although it is not always doable, it is important to make small changes where possible.

She also thinks it is time for manufacturers and supermarkets to take a stand against their use and production of plastic in products. “I think people are only just starting to understand how long it takes (for plastic) to break down. People try and use degradable things, but these take so long to break down — animals and marine life can die or be affected in the time it takes for a degradable item to break down. But we’re at a time now where we are more aware and can make changes in the way we do things.”

BBC One aired Blue Planet II towards the end of last year, which sparked an outcry from the public about plastics and their effect on the environment. Sarah said: “A lot of people watched Blue Planet, and people got emotional about it. I think people are starting to realise that this is something we should be thinking about every day, and it’s not just a trend. Some people do it to say, I’ve gone plastic free for a week, and then get bored and stop doing it.”

Sarah tries to stay away from plastic wherever she can, but added that nobody is perfect. “Our water froze during that spell of snow we had recently, so I had to buy a big plastic bottle of water, and I just felt awful for it. I’ve used my Chilly’s bottle for over a year, and if I forget my reusable coffee cup and I want a coffee, I won’t get a coffee. It sounds extreme, but I can’t do it, I feel too guilty.

“I just think to myself, do I really need that cup of coffee? It’s all about the whole town coming together, and saying no, we’re not going to use plastics. People power does work.”

She added: “I’m not preaching, because I’m not perfect, none of us are perfect. But I really do think people want to do the right thing locally, and they do want the opportunity to not use plastic where they can. It feels like it’s happening and I certainly think Blue Planet made a big difference and gave it a boost. Hopefully, people will make some changes.”