Promoting Ocean Conservation with the Blue Turtle Initiative
Shaftesbury has partnered with ocean conservation charity Project Zero to inspire the business community of Carnaby to act to protect our oceans and create a sustainable future. In the first year of the Blue Turtle initiative, 50 restaurants, bars and cafés pledged to eliminate avoidable single-use plastics, reduce waste and source sustainable seafood, including:
Eliminating avoidable single-use plastic products, such as water bottles, straws, cutlery, take away containers, coffee cups and lids, food packaging, bowls and cups by 2022.
Providing and promoting free tap water access to all.
Reducing waste – minimising packaging and food waste, switching to reusable containers where possible, and engaging with customers and staff to increase recycling.
Sourcing only sustainable seafood – removing all endangered species from the menu, providing provenance information and ensuring all seafood comes from certified sustainable sources.
Representing over 70% of the restaurants in the Carnaby Village, the commitment from those that have adopted the Blue Turtle initiative has proven a solid platform to expand to other Villages in the portfolio.
Occupiers who committed to adopting a minimum of 12 ocean-friendly practices, carried out self-audits and put action plans in place were awarded a Blue Turtle mark to display in their venue. The Blue Turtle mark shows that an eatery is committed to being ocean-friendly and improving their practices, helping customers make informed decisions.
The Blue Turtle is part of Shaftesbury’s wider sustainability programme. Other recent projects include the installation of the first West End water fountain in Carnaby’s Kingly Court, which saved the equivalent of 81,176 500ml plastic bottles in its first 18 months; in addition to the delivery of a successful food waste recycling programme in Carnaby and a dedicated waste and recycling facility in Chinatown.
“We're thrilled to team up with Carnaby on its Blue Turtle initiative, not least because its aims really resonate with those we founded our business on: working closely with the Sustainable Restaurant Association to achieve the highest sustainability rating possible, we've always considered really carefully where we source our ingredients from, and worked hard to have a positive influence on our local community and as little impact as possible on the environment.” - Alex Coppard, Co-founder of The Good Egg
Estate:
Shaftesbury
Location:
22 Ganton Street,
Westminster,
W1F 7FD