Chesterfield residents urged to join protest against single-use plastics

Single-use plastics campaign group Plastic Free Chesterfield’s six grassroots actions, which run from now until October 18, are designed to challenge the manufacturers of plastics, change public perception and demand stronger legislation from the government.

Greg Hewitt, community lead of Plastic Free Chesterfield, said: "We want to create a national wave of noise that cannot be ignored; calling on the UK government to raise the plastic agenda at the highest levels of power, grounding it in parliamentary consciousness and demanding stronger legislation on reduction, production and systems."

Actions range from carrying out a litter pick around Chesterfield, to using social media to hold plastic packaging manufacturers to account, as well as writing to supermarkets to do more to reduce their plastic.

Chesterfield schools are also asked to get involved through the Plastic Free Schools programme.

Greg added: "The plastic industry around the world is using the current pandemic to delay critical policy that would see the reduction of plastic pollution.

"We are already seeing the impacts of this in the UK with delays to bans on straws, stirrers and cotton bud sticks. We need the government not to use one crisis to ignore another."

More information about the protes and the six actions can be found on the Plastic Free Chesterfield website at plasticfreechesterfield.org.uk/take-action/generation-sea-plastic-protest.