Revolutionary small town - Frome - gets ready to #Return the Plastic Saturday 7th April at Sainsbury's

A group of concerned citizens are encouraging local residents to save up plastic packaging that they buy from supermarkets and to return it to local stores to highlight the issue of plastic waste. Julian Thomas who thought of the idea said ‘So much of the plastic waste that we can’t recycle comes from supermarkets. The companies make huge profits while the plastic packaging they sell us causes massive environmental damage as seen recently on BBC’s Blue Planet II. #Returntheplastic is a simple idea to highlight the issue and encourage supermarkets to urgently act to reduce plastic on the products they sell.’ The group is asking people to save up clean non-recyclable plastic including food pots, tubs and trays, plastic covers and lids, plastic bottle-tops, frozen food bags etc. The first event is happening at midday at Sainsbury’s, MarstonRd, Fromeat noon on Saturday 7th April. Julian added ‘We are asking supermarkets to arrange for the returned plastic to be taken to suitable mixed-plastic recycling and to take a lead from Iceland and pledge to go plastic-free in 5 years or less. Supermarkets need to urgently improve their use of plastics so that a much higher proportion is easily recyclable. We believe that they should immediately stop selling plastic straws, plastic earbuds and products containing microbeads. They should initiate a deposit return scheme on plastic bottles and initiate and fund local mixed-plastic recycling nationwide.’ Mendip District Green Party Councillor Shane Collins said ‘The government has just announced a consultation on a plastic tax and pledged to ban 'avoidable' plastics by 2042, but in Somerset in the space of 3 months Frome Town, Glastonbury Town, Mendip District and Somerset County Councils have all agreed to ban single use plastic from their activities, Frome's cafes are greening up offering reusable mugs and water refills, now it is time to pressurise the biggest culprits of all, the supermarkets.’ More information can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/173780916751166