THE village Co-op in Addingham was the target recently of a Mass Unwrap event.

It was organised by Addingham Civic Society’s Environment Group, with the full support of the Co-op.

This was one of a number of events taking place across the country as part of the national ‘Surfers Against Sewage’ campaign to draw attention to the amount of plastic packaging used in supermarkets.

Environment Group volunteers greeted shoppers at the door and explained the purpose of the event, asking them to shop normally, but after paying for their shopping at the till inviting them to unwrap items with unnecessary packaging.

Over the course of two hours 48 shoppers took part, unwrapping their purchases and filling a supermarket trolley with a mixture of non-recyclable items (mainly plastic film) and recyclable items.

Recyclable items included those that can be recycled through the Council’s routine doorstep collection services (such as rigid plastic trays) and those, such as plastic food bags, that can only be recycled in larger supermarkets but not in home-recycling bins.

The event had the overwhelming support of the public, all of whom were conscious of the need to reduce the use of unnecessary plastic in wrapping supermarket products, said a spokesperson.

Pet hates were packaged fruit and vegetables with some shoppers saying if more loose fruit and vegetables were available they would buy more of their greengrocery in the village rather than use supermarkets in Skipton or Ilkley.

Another concern was the different types of plastic used making it difficult to know which could be recycled without careful scrutiny of the labelling.

Jan Hindle, the event organiser, was delighted with the response both of the shoppers and the Co-op itself to the campaign and Emma Priestley, the store manager, welcomed the event and expressed her own commitment to improving recycling rates and reducing waste.

She said: “In addition to reducing plastic waste we are keen to reduce food waste and would like to hear from local charities or community groups in the village who might be willing to take our surplus food.”

The Co-op Group has recently announced it will be making 100 per cent of the packaging used for its own brands recyclable and it has already banned black plastic packaging which cannot be recycled.

The Mass Unwrap is just one of Addingham Environment Group’s projects on plastic waste. It is also championing the Refill campaign to promote the use of refillable drinking water bottles and the sale of cleaning products in refillable containers which are now available at the Plantation Flower Shop in Main Street. Its approach to waste more generally in the village is the subject of a display during the month of March in the village Hub.