Sustainable PZ ... our projects, plans and how to get involved

Penzance has a buzzing community of organisations and individuals all working towards a better future for the town… and like them, we relish getting stuck in.

After launching Sustainable PZ as an anchor to some of the incredible work already happening on our doorstep (read all about it, here), we have run and supported a number of projects across the town, all focused on building a thriving, more resilient future for our community.

Some we’ve run ourselves, with workshops and amazing collaborators along the way, while others we have worked on in a consultant capacity, by sitting on boards and making sure our community gets their say in the big things happening on our doorstep.

Below, you’ll find just some of the key projects we’ve had a hand in (and why they’re important for Penzance).

Our projects

Plastic Free Penzance

Plastic Free Penzance was set up as part of ‘Plastic Free Communities’, a Surfers Against Sewage initiative. It aims to minimise our town’s contribution to the plastic pollution crisis, and we are proud to have been the first community in the UK to be awarded the SAS Plastic Free Communities award. But the work did not stop there. Today, our team at Sustainable PZ manages the project to ensure collective work to reduce single use plastic continues, while calling for action on a national and global level to end single use plastic production and distribution.

Refill PZ

Refill PZ is a collaboration between Plastic Free Penzance, Sustainable PZ and Penzance Council which helps reduce single use plastic immediately by sigposting to businesses offering refill and reuse systems. The town has had refill covered for years, but we needed a way for more people to know about it, including how it saves money and supports local businesses. Refill PZ businesses have window cards and there is an interactive map showing where you can get your refills – from filling up your water bottle, grabbing a coffee or doing the weekly food shop, single use packaging-free.

Packswap PZ

Based in the Sustainable PZ hub at The Gardener’s House in Morrab Gardens, PackSwap PZ is an initiative to re-use plastic packaging that comes into the town, saving businesses and the community money and reducing impact on the local environment. People donate plastic packaging and anyone in the community (including businesses) can come and collect what they need for things like moving, Ebay/Vinted sales, art and antiques selling, postage and more.

Greenways PZ

Greenways PZ aims to connect us all with green spaces within and around the whole of Penzance, to boost health and wellbeing, connection to nature and build more walking and cycling into our lives. Pick up one of the illustrated folded maps from local businesses and organisations around Penzance and Newlyn, and head here for the online guides.

The Gardener’s House

Sustainable PZ is a partner in The Gardener’s House, and works in collaboration with the GH team to host community workshops and more. Utilising the extensive archive to learn from the past of our rich culture and landscape to help shape the future. Our small but mighty team is based here, we hold our Community Hub and volunteer meetings from the house and much more. Look out for upcoming events, here.

The PZ Cup

As part of our work to reduce single-use in the town, we are working with local organisations and businesses to tip the switch from disposable to re-usable cups. At the moment we have a stock of 300 festival cups that can be borrowed for events, we worked with Golowan to help them become one of the first street festivals to ditch single use plastic cups, and we are currently working on a collaborative project with local cafes to start a permanent switch from disposable coffee cups to refill cups.

Business Hub

We know that our local businesses are key to creating a sustainable and resilient future for Penzance, which is why we created the Business Hub. By becoming a Business Community Member, businesses get access to a whole host of advice and resources that support their business, the community and the planet. Find out more, here.

Schools Hub

The Schools Hub aims to help Penzance’s young people connect with the local community, and create a positive future. One where we put people, place and planet first. When schools join, they get access to a host of free resources and workshops, events, planning support and more, as we work to create a thriving and resilient community for the future. Email schools@sustainablepz.co.uk for more information.

Community Hub

The Community Hub is a space we hold for organisations and people working on people, place and planet projects in the Penzance area to come together, keep each other in the loop, support each other and avoid duplication / combine effort. We signpost to and share information from these groups, and the hub may also collaborate on specific projects. For example, the recent People’s Emergency Briefing screening.

Email community@sustainablepz.co.uk for information on how your group can join.

Beach and community cleans

We host beach cleans and community clean ups with schools, community groups and members of the public around our local PZ landscapes. Not only cleaning up, but collecting evidence of what we find to contribute to national action to stop over production of throwaway packaging and tackle inadequate systems. You can find out when our next events are by following our Eventbrite page and signing up to the newsletter.

Community workshops

At Sustainable PZ we host a number of workshops through the year; from working with young people on what they want for the future, to helping to shape what abandoned spaces in town could like through and practical advice and learning. You can find out the latest workshops happening, here.

Decision Making

Part of our role is connecting with decision makers in town. We are part of PZ Council’s climate action group, hold hustings and meet your reps events and attend meetings and boards. We helped set up the initial Healthy Streets project, which led to work to make it safer to walk and cycle round town. We sat on the initial Town Deal board that brought £21m to Penzance, where we worked to ensure that people and planet figured in the decision-making process around regeneration projects. We have helped groups and individuals understand and get involved in speaking up about issues; including plans for St Anthony Gardens (yes – they’re still not great but at least they got a rework and are better than they would have been!) the old Lidl site and the re-introduction of Glyphosate.

Looking to the future

These projects are just a drop in the ocean of the work we do here at Sustainable PZ, and how we look to grow and move forward in the future.

Throughout the year, you’ll also find a host of community events and actions to bring us all together, learn, make a difference, laugh, dance and build strength through connection. Film and quiz nights, talks, community moments like the Human Chain to protect the ocean, dance nights, pizza parties, plastic-free Christmas wrapping …. the list goes on!

To keep all this hard work going, we need your help! We are a tiny team, led by volunteers with some freelance support. We’d love to welcome you and there are lots of ways you can do that. By donating, volunteering, spreading the word, coming to events or simply signing up to the newsletter and following our socials.

Check out the website for all the links here >> https://sustainablepz.co.uk/