THE screening of a film highlighting the dangers of plastic pollution culminated with a Zoom Q&A session.

Plastic Free Bridport organised the screening of the 'Story of Plastic' film over a week.

The screening concluded with a Q&A session via Zoom, which saw the Plastic Free Bridport (PFB) team joined by West Dorset MP Chris Loder, plastics campaign lead for Friends of the Earth (FOE) Camilla Zerr, and Polly Benfield and Grenville Barr of Plastic Free Lyme Regis along with several members of the public.

Mr Loder updated those present with the progress of the Plastic Pollution Bill and his proposed amendment to the Environmental Bill, which is currently making progression through parliament.

He spoke frankly about his personal position on single use plastics and his hopes for more progress being made in working towards eliminating them, particularly in the food industry.

Camilla Zerr gave a comprehensive update on the work being done by FOE to raise the profile of the issues surrounding plastics, particularly single-use types.

She reported that significant progress is being made on the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution that will set legally binding targets. Polly Benfield and Grenville Barr brought those present up to date with the work that Plastic Free Lyme Regis has been doing since they achieved plastic free status in 2018.

The general discussion that followed was chaired by Bridport Town Mayor Ian Bark. The meeting's participants conversed about the role multinational oil companies are playing in the rise of plastic pollution around the world.

The PFB team revealed it had received numerous emails from members of the public, thanking them for making the film available and expressing their shock and anger at the scale of the problems relating to plastic.

Plastic Free Bridport will be arranging another screening of the film later this year for those who did not see it this time around.

If you would like to attend a future showing, send an email to info@scottstudio.co.uk and you will be contacted with information on when it will be shown and how you can view it.