The Yard soft play centre in Stamford becomes the town's third plastic-free champion

A soft play centre has become the third business in a town to make a stand against single-use plastic.

The Yard soft play centre, in Stamford’s West Street Business Park, is now a plastic free champion through replacing plastic straws with paper ones, plastic spoons with wooden alternatives and trading plastic pots for cornstarch ones.

Jo Henchy, who co-owns The Yard with Aimee Swift, said: “We’re really pleased to be involved in this campaign.

“We’ve been trying our best as a business to reduce our plastic waste over the last few years anyway but the Plastic Free Stamford campaign has encouraged us to do a bit more.

“When you’re constantly cleaning tables, you become very aware of what you’re throwing away, things like jelly and fruit pots.

“It’s costly as a business to do things like this but we are conscious of the effect it’s got.

“Being a business where we get a lot of families and children, it’s also about being a good role model.”

Plastic free party bags without balloons or bubble wands are also in the pipeline.

Jo added any leftover food is taken to their allotment at Water Furlong before being given to chickens and the business is exploring renewable energy options.

Plastic Free Stamford coordinator Aled Pattinson, said: “Children’s parties often involve a huge amount of single-use plastics so we are very pleased that The Yard are paving the way to sustainable children’s celebrations.”

Aled is spearheading a campaign backed by Surfers Against Sewage for Stamford to become the first plastic free community in the East Midlands.

Stamford needs at least 12 businesses to cut down on its plastic use so it can meet part of the criteria to become a plastic free community.

At least three plastic items must be removed to become a plastic free champion.

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