Cornwall MPs Steve Double and Scott Mann joined Sharp’s Brewery and the MPs’ rugby clubs in celebrating the launch of a re-usable pint cup scheme.
It’s taking place in collaboration with eight Cornish rugby clubs. The brewery has had almost 7,000 re-usable plastic pint cups made, some with dual branding of Doom Bar and the respective clubs.
The new scheme is an incentive to reduce plastic waste, with spectators and club visitors paying a deposit of £1 during matches and events. The sum will be paid back in full upon the return of the cup, and should drastically decrease the amount of single-use plastics used at these Cornish rugby clubs each year.
The launch was tagged onto a pre-match carvery, followed by a ‘Doom Bar Derby’ between the home team, St Austell RFC, and visitors Wadebridge Camels RFC, both of wom are Sharp’s Brewery sponsored clubs. Despite it being a close match, the Camels RFC won 27 to 24.
Also present at the event was the mayor of St Austell, Gary King, who was intrinsic in the development of Plastic-Free St Austell’,and who is proud to be a determined force for good in the fight against plastic. The MPs’ support is very much in line with their roles fighting single-use plastics with the Ocean Conservation All-Party Parliamentary Group.
Sharp’s is passionate about taking care of its surroundings and the wider marine and coastal environment. Among other activities, over the past four years, the brewery has contributed more than £32,000 to help Cornish beach communities achieve their Blue Flag and Seaside Awards status.
Supporting community initiatives
Sharp’s has also donated a number of litter pickers to the community interest group, Beach Guardian, and collaborated on Keynvor with Universal Music. Keynvor is a four-track EP created from the sounds of the Cornish ocean, transformed into a recording artist. Every stream from Keynvor raises money for the Cornwall-based charity Surfers Against Sewage.
Gary King said: “As the largest town in Cornwall, St Austell is yet to receive plastic-free status, but this initiative takes us one step closer to this goal. It is our hope and ambition to receive plastic-free status as soon as possible, and we thank Sharp’s Brewery for its incredible support towards our local rugby club and town.”
Joel Double, chairman of St Austell RFC, said: “We’re so thankful to Sharp’s Brewery for helping us do our part to reduce plastic waste on our home turf. These fantastic new re-usable cups will prevent 5,000 single-use plastic cups from going into the waste stream annually, and will in addition save us at least £250 a year. We are confident that customers and visitors to the club will support this initiative and understand the environmental benefits.”
Dai Griffiths, commercial director at Sharp’s Brewery, added: “The Sharp’s team are always thrilled to sponsor Cornish rugby and support the environment, and this initiative is a simple yet effective way to do both. Doom Bar has a long history of supporting Cornish rugby clubs, and we’re delighted to be bringing fresh initiatives to clubs who will reduce waste and save money in the process. A big thanks to all the clubs taking part in this single-use plastic programme.”
Sharp’s Brewery currently sponsors eight Cornish clubs: Camborne RFC, Wadebridge Camels RFC, St Austell RFC, Launceston Rugby Club, Bodmin RFC, Penryn RFC, Bude RFC, and Truro RFC. Each is set to make significant savings from the re-usable plastic cup scheme. Camborne RFC, for example, has estimated it will be saving £420 a year, eliminating more than 8,400 single-use plastic pint cups being purchased by the club over a 12-month period. St Austell RFC has estimated that they will be saving approximately £250 over a 12-month period.
