Plastic Free Jesmond & Sandyford are revising the date of their upcoming awards due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

The awards were to go ahead on May 12th during the Jesmond Festival, but lockdown measures which have also put paid to the festival have forced the postponement.

The event takes place to commend the improvements made by local businesses becoming plastic free. But organisers are informing businesses that the event will be rescheduled and go ahead at a later date, saying they hope to hold the awards in Autumn.

Reassurances have been made after many Jesmond businesses made efforts to be eligible for the awards. 

“We’ll certainly have to add something in to the awards, as so many businesses have been really pushing, such as Cafe 1901, who are proving exceptional in going plastic free,” said organiser Tony Waterston.

Plastic Free Jesmond & Sandyford have been successful in encouraging businesses both small and large to cut down on their plastic use, even reaching supermarket chains in the area who have been showing signs of improvement.

“Many of the supermarkets are complying but are just a bit slower than that of Waitrose, who ground themselves with a good ethos,” said Waterston. “They know that their customers and the local community care about the issue.”

“We’re not as well known as we’d hope to be, so hopefully over the next few years we can get the word out there to more and more businesses, and the awards will help in doing that.”