PLASTIC bag use is on the rise and that’s official.

According to Wrap (the government’s Waste and Resources Action Programme), in 2010 more than 6.8billion single use plastic bags were used.

Prior to last year usage of this type of bag had dropped drastically following a successful government campaign launched in 2006.

There is little explanation for this increase as there are many good reusable alternative materials available to the consumer.

Many shops and supermarkets now charge for single- use bags or offer incentives to shoppers bringing their own bags.

Discarded plastic bags can be a blot on the landscape and on riverbanks where they are hazardous to wildlife if ingested. They also clog up landfill as most are not biodegradable and can end up in the sea where they are a danger to marine life.

It was this hazard to marine life which sparked the town of Modbury in Devon to go plastic bag-free.

Inspired by Modbury’s innovation, five years ago the village of Tisbury formed a climate-friendly group and announced that all the shops would be plastic bag free.

But even in Tisbury things have slipped, according to a green group.

“People have got to be reminded about this,” says Maggie Paul from Tisbury Climate Friendly Group.

“The group is planning to relaunch the plastic bag-free status of the village and we will be working with the shops on this. It has been one of our best campaigns since we started up.”

The group was launched following a project Wiltshire Wildlife Trust ran on climate-friendly communities.

Other initiatives it has successfully followed include an energy display, swap shop day, freecycle day and an ongoing community compost, which is volunteer led.

The group is now looking for some new recruits and would especially welcome younger people.

Edward Scott-Clarke, a recent recruit to the group is passionate about the problem of plastic pollution: “When I started researching this phenomenon, I did not know the true extent of the problem at hand.

“A recent United Nations report has stated that there isn’t a single beach in the entire world which does not have plastic debris contaminating it,” he said.

Sue Reed joined the group after being badgered by her daughter, and she now runs an online blog.

Visit climatefriendlytisbury.blogspot.com for more information.