LevelUp - Plastic Free Bristol

LevelUp Plastic Free is a new initiative in the North Bristol area, created for the local community and further afield. We are hoping to launch the project in December 2021/January 2022.

LevelUp has been set up with the intention of offering people education and support about how to reduce, reuse and recycle alongside a not for profit Eco shop, that sells as close to wholesale as we possibly can - helping people to move towards living plastic free without the stress and worry this can sometimes bring. 

We will be reaching out to local community groups such as the Scouting and Guide movements, Women’s Institute, local health clubs etc. We will be running Eco coffee mornings for adults, an Eco kids club, sessions for adults with learning difficulties to learn about the basics of recycling and plastic free living and a not-for-profit plastic free pop-up shop offering lots of alternatives to plastic at cost prices. We will continue to work with low-income families                                                                to make cheap Eco swaps.

Our new venue has been gifted to us rent free by Amberley Baptist Church for the first 3 months, we only have to cover our energy consumption – however it is a portacabin that is currently in a state of disrepair and will need to be brought up to standard before it can be used as our base!

We hope to turn the surrounding area into a small community garden growing herbs and fruit, tended to by anyone who would like to get their fingers green!! We would also like to install solar panels to make The Cabin more energy efficient.

We are also very keen to make our location a local Teracycle recycling point for as much plastic waste as possible. 

The site currently runs a Community Zero Waste Fridge and we’d like to help Amberley to increase the size of this vital community resource.

There is a vicious circle of overpriced Eco products due to low demand and high shop rentals pushing prices up, consequently Eco products are simply not affordable for many. We are blessed to have The Cabin available to us! She’s ugly but she’ll shine bright in the community we’re sure!!

We are passionate that living plastic free should not be expensive for those making the effort to try, and we are encouraging the community to make small changes over time towards living without plastic as far as possible.

 We are gathering a community of like minded people who believe that plastic free should not be expensive and with wholesale prices being almost doubled on many products our aim is to sell products as close to the price that we can buy them as possible. 

Growing the LevelUp Community means that we can work to educate the coming generations that there are affordable alternatives to using plastic; we are keen to build our network to introduce many other groups and projects so that we can share ideas to help people make changes for the benefit of the environment. 

What does your donation mean to our Project?

It allows us to create a usable base with a non profit shop running and means people with disabilities or learning difficulties can be invited in and feel secure they will get the help they need to shop in this way.
It means single parent families can shop not feeling pressure from having kids in tow or that they should even buy anything!
It means we can support older generations to look for swaps that are affordable and maintainable.
It means residents have access to affordable plastic free products without having to travel miles to find them. And access to a community of friends and fellow gardeners!
It means will be able to network with local non-English speaking communities to invite them along to learn and try plastic free living.

It means we can encourage our area to live as plastic free and sustainably as possible.

Its no small feat and we are desperate for funds to keep the movement growing.