Grants for towns to scrap plastic

Towns are being urged to replace plastic bags

Cash incentives are being offered to encourage towns in Oxfordshire to ditch plastic bags.

Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership will give grants to towns that encourage residents to use reusable bags.

The grant should be used to buy initial stocks of cotton or jute shopping bags and money raised from sales of the bags will fund future supplies.

Bags can then be used to promote local businesses and the town.

'Great enthusiasm'

Councillor Roger Belson, the county council's member for sustainable development, said: "We believe that the people in our towns and city will come forward with great enthusiasm.

"They have already shown what keen recyclers they are by recycling 40% of the county's waste.

"Plastic bags are an absolute nuisance.

"As a society we tend to just throw them away after having used them only the once. Here's hoping those days will soon be gone in Oxfordshire."

Town and business partnerships, chambers of commerce or town councils can apply for grants.