THE fight against plastic has begun in earnest in Malmesbury.

A coffee shop in the town has made changes to reduce the amount of single use plastics they use and sell.

Jackdaws Coffee House, located in the town hall, now use plastic free alternatives where possible.

They offer starch lined coffee cups, paper straws, glass water bottles and aluminium cola bottles.

Shop owners since 2009 George and Jane Karr, are behind the changes, and are doing their bit to reduce the amount of non-recyclable plastic they use.

“Plastic is so unnecessary, I have seen the evidence of what it has done to our sea and our beaches”, explained George.

“We have made changes where possible and encourage people to bring their own coffee cups in by giving them 20p off their order.

“It is a slow process and it is difficult to get people to come with coffee cups. It is much more convenient for people to get takeaway cups when they come in.

“We have regular customers who do it, bus drivers come in with their own cups.

“We can wash them, and we can also heat them up.”

Although the coffee shop has made massive changes to reducing single use plastics, there are massive obstacles that prevent them from completely going plastic free.

“Mum’s won’t buy drinks in cups, kids see the packaging and they refuse to have the drinks put in cups.

“But the main problem is the suppliers.

“To go totally plastic free will cost them and for suppliers it’s all about the cost so you can’t really blame them, but until then it’s hard to go completely plastic free.”

Only last week, Malmesbury Town Council agreed at a meeting to phase out the use of single use plastics in all council activities where it is reasonable to do so by March 2019.

It also wants to encourage customers, businesses and other public agencies to do the same.

George stressed that it is people’s choice at the end of the day and they didn’t want to force people.

He added: “At the end of the day it is down to individuals if they want to try and go plastic free or not, and some people won’t be interested.

“For some businesses the small change in prices to go plastic free might be expensive.

“As a business we will do our best and if other people want to, they can do their bit as well.”