Hebden Royd Town Council backs motion to minimise single-use plastics from all its premises and operations

At a Full Council meeting in February 2020, Cllr Nikki Harvey proposed that that Hebden Royd Town Council should pledge an ongoing commitment to minimise single-use disposable plastics wherever practicable.

It was moved by Cllr Harvey, seconded by Cllr Fenton and resolved that Hebden Royd Town Council will remove the following from all its premises and operations:

  • Single Use Plastic Bottles
  • Single Use Plastic Cups
  • Single Use Plastic Cutlery
  • Single Use Plastic Bags
  • Single Use Plastic Loose Straws
  • Single Use Plastic Condiment Sachets
  • Single Use Plastic Mini Biscuit Wrappers

Any existing supplies of the above in council ownership will be used up to avoid wastage. Hebden Royd Town Council pledges an ongoing commitment to minimise all other single use disposable plastics wherever practicable. 

Hebden Bridge Picture House, owned by HRTC, which is committed to the care and protection of the environment in all of its actions, have also published their Environment Policy.

Environmental Policy for Hebden Bridge Picture House (‘HBPH’)

Hebden Royd Town Council, the owner and custodian of Hebden Bridge Picture House, is committed to the care and protection of the environment in all of its actions. 

  • On 23rd March 2019 Hebden Royd Town Council, the owner of the cinema, declared a climate emergency.  As a result:
  • Hebden Royd Town Council has been working with Hebden Bridge Picture House senior staff to further reduce both consumption and waste at the cinema.
  • Senior Hebden Royd Town Council staff members have undertaken Carbon Awareness Training and staff must have environmental principles in mind in all strategic and operational decision making.
  • A carbon audit has been undertaken, and the supply of all utilities to the Hebden Bridge Picture House is now either from 100% renewable sources or subject to carbon off-setting.
  • Additionally the following schemes, designed to protect the environment, are in place:
  • A cycle to work scheme is open to all staff of Hebden Royd Town Council.  This is a UK Government initiative to promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution. It allows employers to loan cycles and cyclists' safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit.
  • Hebden Bridge Picture House is part of the national ‘Refill’ scheme.  The scheme includes any venue that will refill water bottles of customers and members of the public on request without further question.  Anyone can find the cinema on the Refill smartphone app and come in and ask a staff member for tap water.  The cinema encourages customers to bring their own water bottles or offers tap water in a washable glass on request.  We do not sell water in plastic bottles.
  • The following practices have been adopted by the Hebden Bridge Picture House since Hebden Royd Town Council become the custodians in 2012:
  • HBPH does not use disposable cups, plastic glasses or disposable spoons / stirrers, but instead uses ceramic mugs, teaspoons and long-life polycarbonate glasses, all of which are washed in an efficient glass washer and these items are used for a minimum 500 life cycles if not many more times.
  • HBPH is mindful about the packaging of the products sold.  Soft drinks are sold in cans, which are all recycled. Popcorn has always been served in recyclable paper cones.  Ice cream is sold from cardboard tubs.
  • HBPH aims to reduce food miles.  The beer sold is brewed just out of town and the sweets are from a supplier within Calderdale.  Homemade cakes are baked for the cinema in a village 2 miles away. One of the cinema’s main general suppliers is Suma, based in Calderdale less than 10 miles away.  Suma is a co-op supplying vegetarian, natural, responsibly sourced products and the cinema sources the majority of its food and drink products for sale to customers, together with certain hygiene products used at the cinema, from Suma.
  • HBPH aims to source items from which are Fairtrade or come from ethically-minded producers.
  • The kiosk menu highlights all vegetarian and vegan products; we offer non-dairy milk choices and all of our hot drink choices are Fairtrade products.
  • HBPH has been recycling all cardboard, paper, glass, Tetra Paks, appropriate plastic and cans since 2013, with both the waste generated by the business and by customers sorted on site to ensure as much as possible stays out of landfill.
  • HBPH has a number of recycling points in the cinema.  HBPH uses slides on screen before the film to remind customers to recycle where possible (letting customers know what goes into the recycling bins), and asking customers to return all mugs and glasses for washing and re-use.  
  • Office furniture and technology such as office printers are all bought or leased second hand, and where possible staff uniform is re-used.
  • The cinema’s twin boilers were replaced in 2016, with energy efficient models.  Heating timings are programmed each week to ensure the cinema is only heated in preparation for and during public screenings.  Outside of these times only the office occupied by staff members is heated and heating is only switched on when the room is occupied.
  • In 2015 and 2016 the cinema’s auditorium, foyer and kiosk lighting was replaced with energy efficient long life lighting. The remainder of the lighting in the cinema is being replaced with energy efficient lighting on a rolling basis.
  • HBPH staff are made aware of the environmental policy in induction and training. They are reminded to implement the policy when at work including turning off office lights, heating and equipment when leaving their work area.
  • The cinema programme is available electronically and can be accessed via the Picture House website. The monthly print run of brochures has reduced from 10,000 to 4,000 per month since 2012, as a result of more people choosing to access the programme online.  HBPH is committed to reducing its printed media further.
  • In the cinema office and projection office only 100% recycled paper is to be used in the office printers.  Staff are mindful to only print what is necessary operationally or that which has to form part of statutory or financial records.  All correspondence is held electronically and very few physical paper files are generated at the cinema each year.

See more climate emergency news in the new  Hebden Royd Climate Emergency section

Added: Saturday, 10 October 2020

Photos from Hebden Royd