Leisure centres in Sutton, South London have introduced a No Shoes Policy in all pool changing rooms and poolside in a bid to reduce single-use plastic across its facilities.

Everyone Active, who manages Cheam Leisure Centre, David Weir Leisure Centre, The Phoenix Centre and Westcroft Leisure Centre in partnership with Sutton Council has rolled out the new policy from March 1.

The new rule is set to eliminate approximately 14,000 pairs of plastic overshoes per month which are currently used to cover outdoor footwear around the pool changing rooms and poolside areas.

Under the new No Shoes Policy, customers will be encouraged to remove their shoes or change into indoor footwear that has not been worn outside such as flip flops.

Commenting on the eco-friendly move, Rebecca Eyles, Contract Manager at Everyone Active, said: “We all need to play our part in tackling the global battle on single-use plastic, so we are proud to take a step in the right direction with the new policy and hope our local community support us in reducing our environmental impact.

“We have already seen an impressive improvement in the cleanliness of the poolside areas which means we can reduce the chemicals we use to keep them clean.

“We are looking forward to having greener, cleaner leisure centres for everyone to enjoy staying active.”

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