THE AWARD-WINNING NAKED TAKEAWAY PROJECT
The Naked Takeaway initiative gained international recognition when it won the prestigious Cittaslow Chiocciola Orange 2021 Award.
Entered into the environmental category, the reusable food containers scheme was voted overall winner at an online event held by the Cittaslow International Assembly on 12 June.
In taking top spot, Mold made history by becoming the first UK town to win the Cittaslow accolade.
Sam Hubbard, from Mold Plastic Reduction, attended the virtual ceremony, accepting the Award on behalf of Mold, Llangollen and Caerwys.
(Both Mold and Llangollen are members of the Cittaslow network of towns, which is inspired by the slow food movement and which fosters economic, social and environmental sustainability in 30 countries).
Sam gave a longer presentation on the Naked Takeaway during our second birthday event on Food & Drink Packaging:
Launched in January 2021, the Naked Takeaway pilot scheme is the brainchild of Mold, Caerwys and Llangollen Town Councils which, with support from community groups and interested businesses in the area, have been awarded a grant from the Welsh Government Circular Economy Fund.
The councils are working together to reduce their environmental impact and support a more circular economy – one in which items are reused, repaired, swapped and borrowed rather than thrown away and replaced with new products.
As of February 2022, these seven local businesses are trialling the scheme, which offers takeaway customers reusable food containers in place of the usual plastic or cardboard ones:
On the Corner Café, Caerwys ( 01352 721809)
Alexander’s Pizza, Mold (07912 159802)
Asia Sensation, Mold (01352 876009)
Sawadeeka, Mold (01352 755688)
Spoons and Forks, Mold (07531 727768)
Thai Kitchen, Mold (01352 217090)
The Gathering, Mold (07434 504807)
Customers can opt to use tiffin tins (a set of stainless steel stacking tins) or aluminium pizza boxes at the following takeaways: Alexander’s Pizza, Asia Sensation, The Gathering, and Spoons & Forks (all in Mold) and On the Corner Café (Caerwys).
Speaking at the launch of the year-long pilot project, Andrea Mearns, Mold Town Councillor and co-founder of Mold Plastic Reduction steering group said:
“As the Circular Economy grant is funding the initiative, the financial risk for the businesses involved is reduced, giving them and their customers the opportunity to try sustainable alternatives to single use packaging.”
The scheme is projected to save some 26,000 single use plastic takeaway food containers and 5,200 single use cardboard pizza boxes during the trial period.
For further information about the Naked Takeaway, please contact Joanna Douglass, Mold Town Council Business and Development Officer (either via business@moldtowncouncil.org.uk or on 01352 758532).
Chris Ansloos and Ste Spooner of Spoons & Forks, showing off some of their tiffin tins.
The Naked Takeaway scheme was featured in a June 2021 report by BBC1 Wales, when Councillor Andrea Mearns and two participating businesses – Asia Sensation and Spoons & Forks – were interviewed about the project.
