ENERGY Alton and The Alton Society teamed up at the weekend to shine the spotlight on plastic waste.

Saturday’s plastic waste awareness event encouraged the public to learn more about this hot topic.

The idea was to explore how people can live without plastic or, at least, reduce the amount they consume unnecessarily. The day proved popular, with 150 people attending, including families, young people and East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds.

Sir David Attenborough says the issue poses a risk to the “future of humanity” as, with so much plastic filling the world’s oceans, the consequences to both human and animal life could well be catastrophic.

For the organisers, education is the first port of call on the long journey to change.

After the event, an Energy Alton spokesman explained the situation.

“We have all seen media coverage of drifts of disgusting plastic rubbish clogging up the seas (and sewers) and poisoning wildlife in our oceans. We are beginning to see a response from some supermarkets and coffee shops but progress is slow. If only there were some giant scoop to clear it all away,” the spokesman said.

They set out on the day to show things anyone can do to take steps in the right direction, as well as exhibiting larger, more ambitious schemes.

“Posters described international and national projects aimed at tackling the root causes, such as The Ellen MacArthur Foundation which is making realistic strides toward what it calls The Circular Economy, an economy in which plastics never become waste,” the spokesman said.

“There were notes on Portsmouth University’s much-publicised plastic-eating enzyme and also on the Canadian plastic bank which aims to stop ocean plastic while reducing poverty. Action already taken in Alton was also showcased, such as the refill water app including refill points in Alton. It also gave examples of coffee venues who now supply fully compostable cups such as Alton Maltings and Bottega Dei Sapori.

“Plastic has become is so much a part of our daily lives over the last 70 years that it’s almost impossible to manage without it, but we can surely reduce single-use plastics such as bags, cups and bottled water.”

The spokesman continued: “Stalls at the event showcased various plastic-free kitchen and bathroom products, such as washable sandwich wraps, and lunch boxes made from stainless steel and from a rice husk and wax material that felt like the highest quality plastic. And tea infusers as a realistic alternative to teabags. There was a demonstration of how to make beeswax cloths to use as food wrap, and homemade hand creams and other cosmetics.

“Visitors made pledges such as never to buy still water in plastic bottles ‘ever again’, and not to use single-use coffee cups. There were lots of suggestions for further action, including making clear what can be recycled effectively – a source of great concern and confusion to many. What is clear is that recycling is only part of the answer, as complex plastics cannot be recycled into many useful products. We need to reduce our use of them in the first place.”

For more details about the group and its work, visit energyalton.org.uk.