About 45 children and 35 adults gathered to protest in Wilmslow on Thursday, 4th June, to protest about plastic pollution, which was filmed by the BBC for their War on Plastics programme.
Participants from Alderley Edge School for Girls along with pupils from Wilmslow High School, Lindow Primary, Gorsey Bank Primary, Ashdene Primary, Lacey Green Academy, St Anne's Primary school and Mottram St Andrew Primary and Brownies joined members of Wilmslow Clean Team, Plastic Free Wilmslow and Transition Wilmslow in returning unnecessary plastics to Sainsbury's in Wilmslow.
Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Anita Rani, everyone wrote messages on the plastic they were returning to say why they were doing it, as part of the #OurPlasticFeedback campaign.
Andrew Backhouse said "Supermarkets like Sainsbury's are major contributors to our household/town plastics and they need to take stronger action to reduce the number of single use plastics they pass on to consumers.
"Supermarkets have tried little things, and claim that recycling will help – but we know that reduction of plastic is far better for the planet than reusing – and that in turn is far better than recycling. There is too much mixed plastics to recycle effectively."
Tilly, aged 12 from Wilmslow High School, is the Wilmslow Champion for "Refill" (the app that helps you find somewhere to refill your water bottle). She is going to be encouraging businesses in Wilmslow to sign up to be refill stations and encouraging everyone to stop buying drinks in single use plastic.
Tilly said :"We are not doing enough – supermarkets are still supplying plastic and people are still buying it."
Flo Collier, of Plastic Free Wilmslow, said "As a family we have attempted to continually reduce our reliance on plastics for the last 5 years, but documentaries such as Blue Planet II and War On Plastic have really called out the system failures we are up against. That is why today I am proud to be gathering all these voices in Wilmslow to say "we are ready for the change" and this is #OurPlasticFeedback!".
Plastic Free Wilmslow has been working with many local businesses and groups to encourage cutting out or using alternatives to single use plastic. It has been set up by Transition Wilmslow and others with the initial aim to obtaining plastic free status for the town from Surfers Against Sewage.
