Axminster shops are businesses are queuing up to help the town become plastic free.

The Sweet Shop in Trinity Square is the latest shop to sign up to the Boomerang Bags initiative promoted by Plastic Free Axminster.

The popular Sweet Shop joins Axminster Printing, The Crafty Hobbit, RKL Tools, Swish and Flick, The Courthouse Makers, Axminster Care Service Charity Shop, Courtesy Care, Pippins Community Centre and Axminster Library who are also participating in the scheme.

Boomerang Bags was originally set up in Australia to cut down the number of plastic bags being used. It is now a worldwide scheme.

As the name suggests, they are meant to be borrowed and returned by the customer to one of the participating outlets, which each have the logo in their shop window.

Each bag in its lifetime can save up to 700 single-use plastic bags and so save on pollution. The bags are made by volunteers, so there is no cost to the participating outlet. The bags are made of donated fabric – another saving to the environment.