WyeUP, a group dedicated to reducing the amount of plastic in use in Ross-on-Wye, began in March 2018 when a group of people from Ross and the surrounding area got together to discuss the growing problem of plastic.

The Ross Gazette supported the group from the beginning and included regular reports about their work encouraging local businesses (cafes, restaurants, pubs and coffee shops) to consider their plastic use and the Gazette published a series of articles giving ideas for alternatives consumers could find in Ross.

These previous articles are now available on the group’s own blog on its own website, http://wyeup.org.uk.

Over 40 people came to the initial meeting and a variety of opinions, ideas and possible solutions were eagerly discussed. Early on, it was decided that the aim was not to become a ‘plastic-free town’.

Firstly, it was felt that this would be setting themselves up to obvious criticism, as eradicating plastic entirely would be an impossible task. In any case, it was felt that plastic should not be demonised entirely. In some cases they agree that it can the best option, depending on the measure being assessed.

What the group really wanted to change was the thoughtless use of disposable or ‘single-use’ plastics, such as straws, stirrers, cups, bags, bottles and wipes – things that are used once and then thrown away, or worse, dropped as litter. They felt that such items are best described using the phrase ‘unnecessary plastic’ as in nearly all cases there are other options, such as reusable alternatives, which have far less environmental impact.

A twist on the town’s location, on the banks of the River Wye, led to the name of the group: Wye Unnecessary Plastic – or WyeUP for short.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.