A LOCAL action campaign got off the ground in Chepstow as a group of residents got together to discuss how to reduce plastic use in the town.

Graham Eele, of Transition Chepstow, chaired the meeting and said: “It was a crowded and lively session hosted by the town’s Greenman Backpackers’ Hostel.

“A group of residents from Chepstow and surrounding areas got together to talk about what can be done to reduce the problems of plastic in our town. It was the first meeting of what will, it is hoped, turn into a major local action campaign.

“Our working title is

Towards a Plastic Free Chepstow. I think we all realise that plastic is a valuable resource and very few people would want to stop using it completely.

“The problem is really with the sheer quantity of single-use plastics such as bottles, packaging material and take-away containers. At the moment, less than half of all plastic in the UK is recycled. We can see plastic litter everywhere, and we are also increasingly aware of the scale of plastic pollution in the oceans.”

The group aims to work with businesses and organisations to help people use less plastic and to recycle more in an attempt to try to eliminate plastic waste from the streets and the countryside. If you would like to get involved, contact [email protected]