Alex Chalk MP has joined forces with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and young environmental campaigners from Cheltenham schools to bring a state-of-the-art bottle deposit return machine to Cheltenham High Street this Friday, 28th June.

The all-day event seeks to raise awareness of the impact of plastic pollution.  The event will show local shoppers and businesses how easy the system is to operate.

Alex Chalk said: “UK consumers go through an estimated 13 billion plastic drinks bottles a year. More than 3 billion are simply thrown away. A bottle deposit return scheme to increase recycling rates has to be the way forward.

“A variety of “bottle-eating” deposit machines are already in service around the world. I recently hosted one in Parliament to show Ministers and MPs just how simple and effective they can be.”

“So many young people from schools across Cheltenham have contacted me about plastic pollution.  I’m wanted to grab this opportunity to bring this brilliant kit here to Cheltenham. It’s easy to use and can be a major tool in reducing single use plastic and fighting back against the plastic plague.

Alex Chalk continued: “Single-use plastic items have a significant impact on our environment. They end up in landfill, or in rivers and ultimately the sea, where they will take up to 500 years to break down.''