Sustainable Thanet: Local initiatives and inspiring case studies
Across Margate, Broadstairs, and Ramsgate, many local businesses are choosing to operate greener and smarter.
We’ve gathered inspiring local initiatives and case studies to show you how easy it is to start reducing waste, using local produce, and embracing sustainability!
Community & nature projects (Grow local, support local)
These community groups and reserves are crucial local assets that you can support or partner with:
- The Garden Gate Project, Margate: A community garden focused on well-being and social cohesion, helping people improve physical and mental health.
- Windmill Community Gardens, Margate: A food growing project and learning centre. Their Market Garden supplies a weekly vegetable bag scheme and local restaurants (like Angela’s, creating a circular economy!).
- Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve: An internationally important site for wetland birds, rare animals, and plant life near Ramsgate.
- Monkton Nature Reserve: A 16-acre unique environment for wildlife, wildflowers, and pond life set in a former chalk quarry.
- Dane Valley Woods: A community group working to create a 13-acre woodland in Margate, encouraging local participation for enjoyment and wildlife.
Less waste & reuse
These initiatives and businesses are making it easier to tackle waste and plastic use:
- Water Refill Scheme: A scheme aimed at reducing single-use plastic. Around 70 local businesses display a sticker allowing people to refill reusable water bottles for free.
- Müll Club: Transforming waste into beautiful, purposeful products and actively disrupting the traditional recycling system through innovation and creativity.
- Dulcie’s: Focused on solving the waste problem by using natural resources in their products and offering fully recyclable or compostable packaging solutions.
- 2 Minute Beach Cleans: Aboards along the coast encouraging beach users to spare two minutes to carry out a litter clean—a great way to show visitors you care.
- Rise Up Clean Up: A charity running regular beach cleans and litter picks in Margate that everyone can partake in.
Local business case studies: See the change
Accommodation: Manston Court Accommodation
This self-catering property near Manston village showcases sustainability in action:
- Electric Vehicles (EV): The owners provide EV charging points for guests (highly visible on their website) and use an electric vehicle themselves.
- Biodiversity: The garden features bee-friendly plants and their own beehive, contributing directly to the local ecosystem.
Restaurant: Angela's of Margate
Angela’s and its sister restaurant, Dory’s, communicate a strong, environmentally conscious philosophy:
- Zero Waste Goal: They are tirelessly working toward a zero-plastic supply chain from dairy to salt.
- Circular Economy: All food waste is turned into compost for Windmill Community Gardens, closing the loop on their ingredients.
Gadds’ Brewery
- Net Zero Focus: Gadds’ Brewery (The Ramsgate Brewery) is implementing advanced CO2 capture technology to reuse fermentation gases, reducing reliance on external supply and cutting emissions.
Chapel House Estate
- Biodiversity: Chapel House Honey runs beehives on their estate to enhance biodiversity and offer locally produced honey.
Other local projects
- Thanet Coast Project: Works to safeguard the coastline’s unique features, marine, and bird life, providing a focal point for environmental enquiries.
- Levelling Up Green Port Project: A significant £19.8 million investment in Ramsgate to create a Green Port hub for innovation, training, and zero-carbon maritime logistics, providing future economic growth and jobs.
