WILTSHIRE Wildlife Trust is joining the war on waste at the same time as Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that she wants plastic by the food industry drastically reduced.

The Devizes based Wildlife charity has called on people in the county to join in Waste Free February after Gemma Annan from the group's waste education team took on her own challenge.

She spent a month eliminating wasteful packaging and is now challenging others to follow suite. She managed to fill only a small jam jar with rubbish during her trial run.

She said: "Waste Free February is challenging, but a challenge very worthwhile committing to. I found myself shopping at several different stores and markets to achieve my goal.

"This really proved what a wasteful society we live in. However, by being a conscientious shopper it opened my eyes and helped me adopt some everyday waste-reducing changes which I have continued through the year.

"I encourage everyone to take part this February, if only for a day or a week. By sharing your journey you can play a role in changing the amount of waste we as a society are producing.”

Join in Waste Free February by going to www.facebook.com/WiltsWasteWatch, Twitter @SlimBinsWilts using #WasteFreeFeb and via Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s website https://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/recycle-for-wiltshire-joint-venture

Last week Mrs May outlined a number of policies including having plastic-free aisles in supermarkets and a tax on takeaway containers. She said her aim was to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within 25 years.

Her speech, unveiling a much-heralded 25-year plan for the environment in England drawn up by Michael Gove’s environment department with input from pressure groups, focused heavily on plastic waste, which she called “one of the great environmental scourges of our time”.

She promised to extend the successful 5p levy on plastic bags to smaller shops, and seek evidence on a possible charge on single-use plastic containers such as takeaway boxes.

Other initiatives include a plan to urge supermarkets to introduce aisles without any plastic packaging, where all food is sold loose, along with new research funding for plastics innovation and aid to help developing nations deal with their plastic waste.

She said: “In years to come, I think people will be shocked at how today we allow so much plastic to be produced needlessly.”

Much of this waste ends up in waterways and oceans, Mrs May said, with one in three fish caught in the Channel containing pieces of plastic.