The Plastic-Free July initiative is asking Islanders to think about the amount of single-use plastic they use, and is raising awareness of the effect it has on the environment.
And as part of International Plastic Bag-Free Day tomorrow, members of the Plastic-Free team and Environment’s Eco-active department will be in Brook Street explaining how people can take part in the scheme and asking shoppers to ditch the single-use bags in favour of reusable alternatives.
Separately, the national environmental group Surfers Against Sewage is awarding communities Plastic-Free Status if they commit to a number of objectives to reduce the use of the material.
Environment Minister John Young said: ‘I’m looking forward to participating in discussions and I hope this month of focused activities will reduce Islanders’ reliance on single-use plastic.
‘Jersey must continue the momentum started earlier this year, and a day to remind ourselves of the global nature of the problem will help focus our minds. I hope we can meet the Surfers Against Sewage criteria by the autumn, so we can be granted “Plastic Free Jersey” status.’
The Environment Department said this had led to a ‘big reduction’ in plastic bag usage after Jersey shops started charging for them.
Further information about the scheme and how Islanders, businesses and schools can get involved is available via the plasticfreejersey.com website.
