A Fife town leading the way in banishing throw-away plastic has been named a Plastic Free Community.
Anstruther was awarded the status by marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage.
It follows in the footsteps of west Fife villages Charlestown, Limekilns and Pattiesmuir, which in March became the first community in mainland Scotland to earn the accolade.
The Plastic Free Anstruther campaign was launched by local resident Alice Pearson in frustration at the seemingly unstoppable tide of disposable plastic flowing in and out of our daily lives.
With a group of other concerned locals, she recruited businesses and organisations in the town to minimise the amount of disposable plastics they use and help encourage others to do the same.
An education programme was devised and six local businesses have become Plastic Free Champions by swapping to more sustainable packaging, offering incentives to customers who take reusable containers and raising awareness of plastic pollution.
The group has organised beach cleans, family learning roadshows, exhibitions and workshops and even made the news on BBC Newsround.
Helen Patterson, of Plastic Free Anstruther, said: “While we are delighted for the recognition of Anstruther’s collective efforts, we now hope to engage with more businesses within the town and help the Plastic Free initiative extend across the East Neuk.”
Surfers Against Sewage has a five-point plan which communities use to kick-start grassroots action then build upon.
It aims to tackle avoidable plastic from the beach all the way back to brands and businesses who create it.
Rachel Yates, Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Communities project officer, said: “It’s great to see the work that Anstruther has done to reduce the availability of avoidable plastics, raise awareness and encourage people to refill and reuse.
“We have over 600 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.”
