A PIONEERING event has been held to discuss practical solutions to the growing problem of plastic and litter in Chepstow.

The summit, held last Thursday (January 17) by Transition Chepstow and Chepstow Town Council, featured presentations and discussions by en- thusiasts and specialists on the topic.

More than 70 people attended and were wel- comed by town mayor Tony Redhead.

Many solutions were debated, with common themes emerging, such as making it easier to dispose of waste, effective waste management, and working with local businesses. Organisers hope that these can now be channelled into practical solutions and implemented in the near future.

Attendees also hope to begin putting “continued pressure on Welsh and UK Government to address litter problems through legislation, deposit return schemes and producer liability,” said Graham Eele, the coordinator for Plastic Free Chepstow.

Amongst the guest speakers was Wayne Dixon, who is halfway through his journey of walking the British coastline, picking up any litter he encounters.

He believes that he has currently picked up in excess of 50 tonnes on his travels.

At the meeting, he spoke about the ‘blanket of litter’ that can be found in streets, villages and country lanes, speaking of the ‘upswing in community action’ on litter as a result of the ‘red bag movement’.

Mr Eele said, after the summit: “It was really encouraging to see so many people turning out and joining in the discussion with such enthusiasm.

“Of course, there is a lot yet to be done to turn these ideas into practical actions.

“It was disappointing that very few businesses were represented, as it’s really important to work alongside local businesses, especially shops and takeaways,” he added.

Following the event, a litter pick was held at Piggy’s Hill, in Chepstow, where 16 volunteers, including Cllr Paul Pavia, arrived to help clean up the green space.

The result was a haul of five bags of general waste, two bags of cans, three bags of plastic and one of glass. The collected cans, plastic and glass were then recycled.

The next litter pick is due to be held on Saturday, February 16.

For more information, contact [email protected]