Council Gets Creative Spreading the Message on Single Use Plastics

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has joined up with the Street Dreams Project to raise awareness of Single Use Plastics in our district. The project, a partnership between the Council’s Newry DEA Forum and Amplified Arts NI, involves transforming mundane utility boxes in Newry city centre into works of art. 

The Council’s Sustainability Department chose the strong environmental message of “Can’t Reuse, Refuse” as part of one of the utility box transformations. The reworked utility box is located near to the Five Ways roundabout on the Armagh Road in Newry City. The colourful and eye-catching design is the work of Anafish Art. 

Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down Chairperson, Councillor Pete Byrne said, “So many single use items end up as litter on our streets. Simple steps like using a reusable drinks bottle or cup; refusing to buy over packaged goods when shopping and remembering your reusable shopping bags can all make a big difference to the amount of litter, especially plastic waste, damaging our district”.

Chairperson Byrne continued, “I try to always have a reusable bag, coffee cup or drinks bottle with me when out and about so that I can do my bit to lessen the impact of unnecessary plastic on the environment. If something is designed to be used once and thrown away, like a plastic coffee cup, why not make the decision to refuse it and use a reusable cup instead.”

This innovative arts-based project will act as a reminder to residents and visitors who travel around our district to reject unnecessary plastic where possible when shopping. Since the introduction of the Carrier Bag levy in 2013, according to data published by Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs, plastic bag usage has reduced by 82.9%. This shows what can be done. With just a little more effort, and by having the attitude of “Can’t Reuse? Refuse”, we can all reduce further the number of plastic items that are thrown away and end up polluting our environment.