Margate Winter Gardens and Your Leisure are pleased to announce that following on from our decision to remove the regular Christmas crackers from 2019's Winter Wonderland nights - which contain non-recyclable plastic products - we have been able to start to make our donations to our chosen charities. Kay Byatt, Project Worker, from Speak Up CIC popped in this week to collect their cheque.
Lynne Boyd, Assistant Hospitality & Entertainments Manager, said: "It’s a great feeling knowing that we are becoming more environmentally friendly whilst at the same time supporting incredibly worthwhile local charities."
This donation was made possible due to the ethical decisions made prior to Christmas. Inspired by the successful launch of the single-use plastic elimination project at other Your Leisure operated facilities, the team at Margate Winter Gardens are on a mission to make their venue greener for the new decade; which started with the removal of “wasteful” Christmas crackers at this year’s Winter Wonderland festive banqueting nights. Instead, the money usually spent on crackers will be donated to local charities, spreading goodwill to local communities.
Each year it is estimated that Christmas crackers account for up to 154 million pieces of plastic that end up in UK landfills and potentially our oceans causing harm to British wildlife and ecosystems.
Lynne Boyd, Deputy Hospitality & Entertainment Manager at Margate Winter Gardens said: “One of the most wonderful things about the venue is the sweeping sea views. Looking out upon a Turner seascape every day, we wanted to make sure that as a coastal venue we are doing everything we can to protect our seas. This is the start of us phasing out all single-use plastic items, and products that contain single-use plastics which can end up in our waters. In 2020, we’re looking to invest in eco-friendly alternatives. Winter Wonderland is a fabulous run of dinners and welcomes thousands of guests but over previous years, our teams have thrown away far too much non-recyclable plastic from these wasteful crackers and it’s time and we’re looking at procuring genuinely environmentally friendly alternatives for the future.”
The money saved this year by not purchasing thousands of Christmas crackers is now being donated to local charities.
Throughout 2020, Your Leisure will be focusing on not only looking in at itself to improve its environmental footprint but also placing a focus on education. The Kent-based Leisure operator hopes to lead the way; educating staff and members of the local community on how to reduce their ecological footprint while enjoying life and having fun.