Shoppers in Seaton are being encouraged to hand back plastic packaging at supermarket tills to highlight how many items are ‘unnecessarily wrapped’.
Seaton Environmental Action is joining communities across the UK hoping to instigate a nationwide 'Mass Unwrap'.
Organised as part of the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Communities campaign, the purpose of a mass unwrap is to show the high levels of plastic packaging being used and put pressure on supermarkets to help make changes.
It's one of a number of actions the local group in Seaton is taking as it tries to reduce the impact of single use plastic in the town - such as working with local businesses, community groups and schools.
Karen Bowskill, lead volunteer for the event, said: "Mass unwraps are a great way to visually show the sheer scale of plastic packaging.
"Some 59 billion pieces of plastic packaging are distributed every year, that's 112 thousand pieces every minute.
"Supermarkets, being one of the focal points of a community, are in a unique position to be able to raise awareness of this in a positive way, through these non-confrontational and family friendly awareness events.
"This is a great opportunity to let supermarkets know that we cannot continue using this excessive amount of plastic, especially when only approximately nine per cent is recyclable."
The event is being held over a two-hour period and in that time customers shop and pay as normal.
When they move away from the till they can then visit a 'Mass Unwrap' volunteer who will help them take any unnecessary plastic packaging from their purchases and put it in a trolley for recycling or disposal.
Counting up the items as they go, volunteers will be gathering evidence to show the scale of wrapping used.
Paula Cooke lead volunteer for the event, urged Seaton people to be 'part of something positive'.
She added: "Start saving your reusable containers and bring them along on the day."
The Mass Unwrap session will take place at:
Seaton Tesco on February 22 and 23 between 10am and 12noon and 11am and 1pm.
Seaton Underfleet Way Co-op on February 28 and 29 between 3.30pm and 5.30pm and 11am and 1pm.
To get involved as a volunteer contact Seaton Environmental Action group via its Facebook page.
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