This month is Plastic Free July and Plastic Free Axminster is challenging residents to change their habits and cut down on waste.

Can you pledge to ditch one single-use plastic item during July?

Plastic Free July is an annual global movement, set up by the Plastic Free Foundation, to encourage people to reduce their plastic consumption for the whole month, thereby raising awareness of how much we use and, hopefully, leading to small changes in lifestyle.

Plastic Free Axminster has made the following suggestions on what you could consider giving up in July, and maybe permanently.

- Swapping plastic water bottles for a good quality stainless steel bottle and fill up from home

- Exchanging take-away cups for a re-usable glass cup which travels with you

- Choosing to buy fruit and veg free of plastic wrapping, maybe from a farm shop or market

- Ditching pretty-but-plastic glitter-spattered cards and paper for simpler cards and plainer paper

Kate Pike of Plastic Free Axminster said: "Although it is said that it takes 60 days to form a new habit, we are sure that it can be done in less and will be worth it for the sake of the environment and our health!"

You can find out more about the initiative and other ideas at www.plasticfreejuly.org

You can also join Plastic Free Axminster on Facebook and learn about other ways to reduce dependency on plastic. If you would like more information, email [email protected]