A South Hams town is looking to be one of the first in the area to achieve “plastic-free” status.

A group of local residents are working on achieving ‘Plastic-Free Kingsbridge’ status for the town.

The first of many upcoming events regarding this topic, is a ‘Plastic-Free Kingsbridge’ Litter Pick, which is to be held on Sunday, April 29, starting at 9am in the town square. Everyone is expected to bring his or her own bag to carry the litter, and take it home with them afterward. Coasters are kindly offering all litter pickers a free hot drink afterwards - either drink in or bring your own reusable cup to avoid plastic waste!

Building on the success of Kingsbridge’s ‘Borrow-A-Bag’ scheme, which reduces plastic bag usage in the town, and ‘Refill Devon’, which offers free tap water refills to cut plastic water bottle waste, these local residents have teamed up with ‘Plastic-Free Communities’, a national campaign created by the charity Surfers Against Sewage to inspire local communities to take action to cut avoidable plastic waste.

The campaign aims to encourage local councils, businesses, schools and community groups to rethink their reliance on single-use plastic, replacing it with reusable alternatives wherever possible.

It also aims to educate schools and community groups about the issues caused by excessive plastic usage and what we can all do to reduce it, while organising clean up events such as beach cleans, litter picks and a new alternative, plogging (picking up plastic while jogging).

Many individuals and organisations in Kingsbridge are already taking significant action to tackle single-use plastic, which is why the group felt it would be beneficial for the town to receive national recognition for its eco-friendly efforts by achieving ‘Plastic-Free Kingsbridge’ status.

The group is required to achieve a number of objectives to secure such a status, and hopes to complete them by the summer. This includes getting the local council to cut out single-use plastic, getting several schools and community groups involved, and running regular community and beach clean up events.

For more details about the Plastic-Free Kingsbridge Litter Pick, visit ‘Plastic Free Kingsbridge’ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/215585442543109/.

For more information regarding upcoming beach cleans and litter picks, visit the South Hams Beach Clean Series Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SouthHamsBeachCleanSeries.

And to keep up-to-date on Plastic-Free Kingsbridge’s progress, visit www.hellokingsbridge.co.uk/plastic-free-kingsbridge.