The town of Axminster has recently been awarded a Surfers Against Sewage 'Plastic Free' accreditation.

The town has been given the status by environmental group Surfers Against Sewage to recongise their work in reducing plastic in the town.

Rachel Yates, Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Communities Project Manager said: “It’s great to see the work that Axminster has done to reduce the availability of avoidable plastics, raise awareness and encourage people to refill and reuse. “We have over eight hundred communities across the UK working to reduce single use plastic and the impact it has on our environment. Every step those communities and the individuals in them take is a step towards tackling the problem at source, challenging our throwaway culture and encouraging the habit and system changes we need to see.” For more information on the work of Plastic Free Axminster, together with eco tips and simple swaps that we can all make in our everyday lives, join our Facebook group. We will also be launching our website very soon.

"It is not an environment we want to live in and it is the worst legacy we can leave successive generations. 40 per cent of plastic produced is for single-use; that is a horrifying statistic. Registering with the SAS Plastic Free Communities movement, we worked together with key organisations and businesses in the town to put in place a five-point plan."

The town has joined a network of communities across the UK who are leading the way to tackle throwaway plastic at source.

The Axminster campaign was started in 2019, had to take a back seat during Covid but the Steering Group has continued apace since 2021. The group believe that plastic, especially single-use plastic and the world's addiction to it, is ruining our countryside, our rivers and oceans and our health.

The objectives include; setting up a community-led steering group, instigating the SAS Plastic Free Schools education programme, getting local council commitment and working with local businesses, organisations and community groups to spread the word and minimise the amount of disposable plastics they use.