On Thursday 23 March, Plastic-Free Fife launched its new Fife Plastic-Free Event Guide.

The guide is tailored to the specific circumstances in Fife. It helps organisers to achieve zero-waste, plastic-free events.

The guide contains practical advice and information on waste prevention, waste management and communicating with vendors and event goers. It contains information on the problems associated with compostables, balloons and glitter. There is also a handy checklist for stallholders.

Certain single-use plastics were banned last year. However, many events still generate a lot of plastic and other types of waste.

Many of the ‘compostable’ single-use alternatives introduced since the ban are impossible to compost in Fife. This means they are scarcely more sustainable than the plastic items they have replaced.

Organisers can reduce the amount of waste at their events by promoting reusable solutions and minimising single-use items.

Last year, by making a few simple changes, Dunfermline Children’s Gala saved over 6,000 pieces of plastic waste.

Plastic-Free Fife produced the guide with support from Climate Action Fife’s Small Grants Fund. This fund is supported by Crown Estate Scotland.

Download the Plastic-Free Event Guide.

Climate Action Fife has awarded funding to 16 local organisations to engage people in climate action.

The community groups have been given £500 from Climate Action Fife’s Small Grants Fund to run events, activities and workshops that raise awareness of the climate emergency and show people what they can do to tackle it.

Activities include tree-planting days, growing workshops, a cooking class and a bike fix-it session. The funded activities will give people knowledge and skills to reduce carbon emissions and help tackle the climate emergency.

Craig Leitch, Senior Development Worker at Greener Kirkcaldy said, “It’s great to see so many communities are keen to get involved and want to make change happen in their local area.

“We are very excited to have funded 16 fantastic projects that will inspire people to tackle the climate emergency through simple actions including planting trees, growing delicious fruit and vegetables and creating opportunities to talk about climate change.

These activities will empower communities to lead the way in making  Fife a greener and fairer place to live.”

The 16 funded organisations are: Anstruther Improvements Association, Bat’s Wood, Burntisland Community Development Trust, Charlestown, Limekilns and Pattiesmuir Nature Conservation Group, Footprint East Neuk, Friends of Pittencrieff Park, K107FM, Kincardine Community Council, Kingsbarns Community Development Trust, Markinch Community Hub, Plastic Free Dunfermline, Saline Environment Group, Simply Local Kincardine, St Andrews Botanic Garden Trust, Strathmiglo Conservation Community and The Ecology Centre.

Rebecca Duncan, Development Manager, St Andrews Botanic Garden Trust said: “We’re delighted to have been successful in our application which will allow us to connect with people who may not have chosen to engage with climate change activities. Our project will focus on our local environment and the influence the local community can make through their everyday actions in their own gardens and local areas”.

Patrick Higgins, Chair of Strathmiglo Conservation Community, who are planning a number of biodiversity themed events, said: “I think it will be wonderful to bring people from all different backgrounds together for a day… and provide them with well-thought out proposals and solutions to some of the problems which the effects of climate change has brought to the village.”

In Dunfermline, the funding is being used to run a series of growing workshops. Rachel Brown, Social Media Coordinator of Friends of Pittencrieff Park said: “We are very excited to have the opportunity to provide in depth workshops to a wider audience. We are looking forward to helping people find alternative ways of sustainable gardening that they may not have known were available, helping make an impact on a personal level, as well as in the local environment and within the volunteering group within Pittencrieff Park.”

Climate Action Fife’s Small Grants Fund is supported by funding from Crown Estate Scotland. Applications for further grants will open later in 2023.

Read more about the projects that are being supported in 2023 (pdf)

Funding is available to support community organisations who want to engage local people in action to tackle the climate emergency.

The Climate Action Fife Small Grants Fund is open to any community organisation based in Fife who would like to trial activities to engage their community in climate action. Groups can apply for a grant of up £500 to support activities such as climate-themed film showings, climate conversations or hands-on activities.

Craig Leitch, Senior Development Worker, Greener Kirkcaldy said: “To successfully tackle the climate emergency we need to encourage action at a local level. These grants are aimed at any locally based groups who would like to get their community involved.

“Recipients could include community councils, faith groups, local charities and community groups. Applying for the grant is a simple process and we’re holding an online information event next month for anyone who would like to find out more.”

A total of £7,500 is available, which will help support 15 organisations across the Kingdom. Projects need to be delivered between 30th January and 17th April 2023.

Groups interested in applying can attend an online information event on Wednesday 9th November at 7pm.

The first round of grants, made in 2021, supported 13 community organisations around Fife. Groups organised climate-change themed events including e-bike demonstrations, litter picks and growing workshops. One group based in Kirkcaldy created a plastic-free children’s party kit.

Climate Action Fife is a Fife-wide partnership project, bringing together individuals, communities, local government and businesses to tackle the climate emergency and make Fife a greener and fairer place to live.

The deadline for applications to the Climate Action Fife Small Grants Fund is Sunday 4th December.