Eighteen months ago a decision was made to try to substantially reduce the amount of plastic used by and collected from the OC Club at Thames Ditton.

At the time as many as ten sacks of plastic waste were being collected from the club every week, with water and soft-drink bottles among the biggest culprits.

The campaign has seen renewable materials replace plastic in catering and in the bar. All disposable plastic cutlery has been replaced with wooden implements. The latest initiatives include water being sold in renewable cans instead of plastic water bottles. In all, the club has ‘saved’ over 25,000 items of plastic. It is hoped to install water fountains which will enable users to refill their own containers, further reducing the number of plastic bottles brought to the club.

“We are committed to reducing the amount of single use plastic we utilise, especially throughout the season,” said JJ Griffin, the OC Club manager. “We are looking implementing a discount for those who bring their own containers for tea and coffee as well as looking to reduce the amount of disposable coffee/tea cups we utilise. All ideas are welcomed.”