Residents try out new app to track plastic litter

Residents spent a sunny Saturday testing an innovative free app designed to track and tackle plastic waste as part of the Wessex Citizen Science Showcase.

The event began at RISE on Whittox Lane before attendees headed out for a riverside litter pick to put the new Wastebase app to the test.

The app, developed by social enterprise Unwaste.io, shares information about single-use plastic waste, where it originates, and where it has ended up.

“The team from Unwaste.io, the social enterprise behind the Wastebase app, was on hand at the event to demonstrate how it works by scanning barcodes from collected items to gather data on where most plastic waste originates,” explained Laura Smith, a spokesperson for Unwaste.io.

“In just 10 minutes, people collected several Lucozade and Oasis bottles, which originated from Japanese company Suntory and US company Coca-Cola—the top two polluting manufacturers in the UK, according to nationwide data collected via the Wastebase app.

“The Unwaste team also took the opportunity to visit Denude, the town’s refill shop, which aims to tackle plastic waste by giving people more choices to buy goods without single-use packaging.

“It’s always great to get out in the community and meet people who share our mission to rid the world of plastic waste. This battle needs as many people involved as possible, and we’re really pleased to provide free and easy-to-use technology to help litter pickers supercharge their efforts and gather vital data to lobby manufacturers to take action on their most polluting items.”

Gemma Annan, from Frome Families for the Future, who runs monthly litter picks and attended the event with her daughter, said, “This app will be amazing for getting younger people involved. Cleaning up an area is great, but recording and finding out more about the companies responsible for producing the waste in the first place will help give young people more of a voice and positive actions to take forward.”

The app also includes template letters and contact details, allowing users to write to plastic producers to highlight the impact of their waste in local areas.

Pictured: Wastebase demo in Frome