A GROUP of Malmesbury residents are attempting to tackle plastic use by taking part in Minimal Plastic April.

Headed by Lisa Tweedie, the support group on facebook mini blog their daily plastic use, as they aim to educate and learn from each other.

Lisa, a familiar face who established the popular Make Malmesbury Even Better facebook group created the group after she learned about plastic and questioned what she could do.

Lisa said: "Plastic gradually came onto my radar.

"I created the group last week and already 80 people have joined.

"Its a learning process for all of us.

"If anyone would like to join the group and Minimal Plastic April they can.

"I would like to encourage more people to join."

Plastic has become an epidemic of late and is causing a serious impact on the environment.

Stats released last year from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report, revealed that 13 billion plastic bottles are sold every year with over 15 million dropped as litter, landfilled or incinerated every day.

Residents aren't alone however, Malmesbury Town Council are also committed to the reduction of plastic and want to encourage residents to recycle.

On Tuesday night the town council policy and resources committee voted unanimously in favour of a resolution put forward by Cllr Campbell Ritchie, to set up a working group consisting of Mayor Cllr Fran Vandelli, Cllr Ritchie, and Cllr Gavin Grant.

The Group was mandated to examine the possibilities of Malmesbury Town Council adopting a policy of ending single use plastics wherever possible by March 2019 and encouraging others in the town to do the same.

They will report back to the April meeting of the full Town Council with its recommendations.

The first meeting will be on Monday morning and they are asking local campaigners to join them at the meeting, led by Julia Hart.

Cllr Grant said: "We can all help Malmesbury become a one use plastic free town‎.

"We can do this as a Council, retailers, cafe and pub operators, as well as individual shoppers and consumers.

"Hopefully Malmesbury can set an example for the rest of Wiltshire to follow with Wiltshire Council also showing the way.‎"