A PARTNERSHIP between a Southampton theatre and a community company could see the reduction of plastic waste coming out of the city.

Final Straw Solent, a community interest company, have partnered up with Mayflower Theatre to campaign for a cleaner and greener Southampton.

The partnership aims to highlight better awareness of the environment, the wildlife and the current plastic crisis, which will be spread by staff at the theatre.

A spokesperson from Mayflower Theatre said: “We are committed to reducing our plastic waste and increasing the amount that we can recycle. Final Straw Solent is a great campaign to get behind and we encourage other businesses in the Solent area to join in.”

Not only has Mayflower Theatre pledged to support the Final Straw Solent and their mission, they have taken some significant steps to reduce their plastic footprint.

The theatre plan to remove all plastic straws and replace them with paper ones and also plan to replace single-use plastic bags with paper bags or ones made from reusable materials.

Catering staff at the venue are also looking to reduce their plastic waste by requesting that all deliveries arrive in non plastic packaging where possible.

As many deliveries as possible will be in cardboard boxes, and suppliers have been informed that items usually wrapped in plastic need to be provided in alternative packaging.

This is in the hope that manufacturers will follow this lead and reduce their packaging at source.

Following these changes from the theatre, it is expected that plastic waste in the city will be reduced dramatically.

One of the founders of Final Straw Solent, Bianca Carr, said: "It’s an enormous step forward for theatres all over the UK, and not just the South Coast.

"By having a theatre with the status that Mayflower Theatre has, involved in the campaign, showcasing their dedication to sustainability and their commitment to ocean health, this could be a turning point for all theatres to use this as a blueprint to follow.

"Southampton and the south coast are leading the way and we are honoured to be linked with them, we want everybody to know how important the environment is to them, and we hope it inspires more local businesses to make the change and reduce their single use plastic use."