A town council in West Dorset has become the first to sign up and use sustainable palm oils.

Bridport Town Council has signed up to be a part of Dorset’s Sustainable Palm Oil Community (DSPOC.)

In doing so, it becomes the first ever town council to sign up to the commitment of using sustainable palm oils last month.

West Dorset has seen an uptake in pledges to the community, with Bridport at the forefront to this, with almost 20 per cent of the sign ups coming from the DT6 area code.

Along with the town council, three local fish and chip shops have also signed up to the community.

The first to sign up was family-run fish and chip van L & F Catering, which visits villages around Bridport and Dorchester including Beaminster, Drimpton, Broadwindsor, Maiden Newton and Salway Ash.

A spokesperson for DSPOC said: “L & F Catering have pledged to work through all the steps required to become a fully-fledged champion, including the first step of reviewing their food for palm oil.”

The other fish and chip shops to sign up are Forum Frier in Blandford and Bennetts in Weymouth.

Sustainable Palm Oil Communities is an initiative first started in Chester Zoo in 2019, and has since seen a rise in the number of towns, cities and villages signing up.

The community looks to introduce sustainable palm, to reduce deforestation and protect biodiversity.

To find out more about the work they do and to sign up, visit https://www.efeca.com/our-work/dorset-sustainable-community/