A community solar farm near Burnham-On-Sea has helped to fund the opening of a new charity-run hub dedicated to recycling waste sea-plastic in Weston-super-Mare.
The Birnbeck Regeneration Trust officially unveiled the new facilities over the weekend at its headquarters on Birnbeck Road, a former public toilet building now dubbed the ‘Loo-vre’. The hub will transform discarded shoreline plastics into items such as keyrings and picture frames, with sales supporting the trust’s long-term ambition to restore the Victorian-era Birnbeck Pier.
The project was made possible thanks to Burnham and Weston Energy CIC, which donated £8,000 through its Sunshine Grant.
The funding has enabled the purchase of specialist machinery, including a shredder and injection-moulding equipment, to turn waste bottles and other plastics into useful products.
Burnham and Weston Energy CIC is a not-for-profit local energy enterprise that operates a 9.3MW community solar farm at Wick Farm between Burnham-On-Sea and Weston. The 36,000 panel solar array has been up and running since 2016, generating electricity for the equivalent of over 2,000 homes.
Birnbeck Regeneration Trust volunteer Susan Cooke says: “The most important part of this project is the educational aspect, and we’re imparting that message through creativity. People will hopefully stop and think about the amount of single-use plastic they purchase, and hopefully use less in the future.”
The hub opened its doors with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Weston-super-Mare MP Dan Aldridge and Town Mayor Cllr Martin Williams.
Denys Rayner of Burnham and Weston Energy CIC adds: “It’s great to see projects like this come to life. It’s a win-win for the area with the positive benefits this will have on the coastline, and the trust’s ambition to restore the old pier and give the area a real boost.”
Burnham and Weston Energy CIC is continuing to welcome applications from charities and community organisations for its Sunshine Grant scheme.
