Frome continues to lead the war against plastic

FROME was mentioned on BBC’s The One Show last week as a stand-out town trying to reduce the single-use plastic that is polluting our oceans and rivers.

An episode on BBC’s The One Show on Monday 16th April was dedicated to the nationwide issue of single-use plastic and Frome was commended for their recent #returntheplastic campaign, leaving their unwanted plastic wrapping at the supermarkets.

The One Show highlighted the devastating effects plastic has on our marine life in our oceans and how the BBC show Blue Planet 2 led to a massive public reaction.

The hosts, Matt Baker and Alex Jones were joined by environmentalist, Chris Packham and environmental journalist Lucy Siegle, as well as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, to discuss what the issues are and what the government, manufacturers and the public can do to reduce the amount of plastic waste.

The show presented the fact that if nothing is currently done to avoid the problem, then by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

Frome’s fight against plastic continues with campaigners recently filling 30 trolleys worth of unwanted plastic during their #returntheplastic protest at Sainsburys, where over 50 people campaigned for change.

Various cafes and restaurants across the town, led by Frome Town Council, are also getting rid of single-use plastic straws and cups and instead opting for alternatives such as paper straws and biodegradable coffee cups, therefore hoping to make a difference sooner rather than later.