A ROTARY club has launched an ambitious new environmental project to make Manningtree Essex’s first plastic-free town.

Manningtree Stour Valley Rotary Club has just celebrated the start of its 36th year with a new president Richard Blay.

Every year the club raises funds to support youth activities, international projects and community projects.

But this year, as part of its community project, the club has agreed to launch an anti-plastic bag campaign.

Rotarian Roger Griffiths said: “The club has agreed to focus on our local environment and to start by looking at seeking support from local business to stop the use of plastic bags - or if this is not immediately possible to use only biodegradable bags.

“We will, with everyone’s support, try and achieve this by the end of our rotary year.

“If we succeed Manningtree could be the first town in Essex to be plastic bag-free.”

Rotarians have already started meeting business owners to try to convince them to stop using plastic bags and have drawn up posters to spread the campaign message.

Mr Griffiths added: “Our first port of call was to meet with Mr Townsend, who is the proprietor of one of the oldest established businesses in Manningtree - Townsends.

“Mr Townsend confirmed to us that he now uses mainly paper bags and when the remaining plastic bags in stock are gone he will not be replacing them.

“He is supportive of our cause for a plastic bag-free Manningtree.

“We have also had a very positive meeting with Michelle Cook the chief executive of Acorn Village, who have probably the oldest established charity shop in Manningtree.

“We now have three sets of A5 posters for display in the local businesses.”

The rotary club is calling on all residents and businesses in Manningtree to join the scheme and ditch plastic bags.

If successful, Manningtree would join Modbury in Devon, which was the first in the UK to go plastic bag-free in 2007, and Penzance in West Cornwall.