LOCAL businesses and organisations are being encouraged to go green with a new award scheme.

Plastic Free Lyme Regis (PFLR) is hosting a meeting on Tuesday, November 20, bringing together the town’s businesses and groups for an open discussion on the benefits of being environmentally friendly.

This meeting will also see the launch of a new award scheme for local supporters of the campaign.

Grenville Barr, chair of PFLR, said: “This is an opportunity to share experiences over the past months and summer season, ask questions and swap ideas.

“We want to encourage more businesses to find ways to eliminate single-use plastics.

“Together we can improve and protect our environment to benefit our residents, businesses and visitors.

The award will be given to businesses and local organisations demonstrating that they feel strongly about protecting the environment and are responding to customers who are looking for environmentally friendly solutions to the use of plastics and improved recycling.

More than 20 local businesses already support the ReFill scheme, which provides free tap water top-ups for refillable water bottles.

Mr Barr added: “Many types of businesses are looking hard at their everyday practices and are finding ways to reduce their drain on world resources. This could be ditching single-use plastics, finding sustainable alternatives to energy use or sources for paper, and most importantly how to increase effective recycling.

“We want to recognise publicly all these local efforts to protect our environment for the future.”

All are invited to attend the meeting on Tuesday, November 20 at the Driftwood Café at the Baptist Church, Lyme Regis, at 7.15pm for 7.30pm, where business owners who have already put plans in place will talk about their experiences.

Me Barr said: “We want businesses and local organisations to come together to learn from each other, but also to look to the future with fresh ideas and commitment.”

For more information, email info@plasticfreelyme.uk or visit www.plasticfreelyme.uk