Welsh town's clean up

Businesses and charities in Llanidloes are already moving away from plastics and those involved in the carnival on July 14 are looking to get rid of the 1,500 single use plastic glasses and instead have re-usable half and pint pots.

Tomorrow more than 500 local people and schoolchildren are expected to turn out to clear up the town and river as part of a Message in a Bottle campaign.

Organiser, volunteer Philip Stallard, said he was delighted with the response.

Brenin Adventures has agreed to lead the river clean in Llanidloes, the Co-op has provided 3,000 textile shopping bags and Matthew Davies Media will be capturing the day’s events on film. Musicians and the owners of sound systems are also supporting the day’s events free of charge.

"Everyone in Llanidloes is talking about it and the town is 100 per cent behind Message in a Bottle,” he said.

“Hopefully, businesses will be asking their suppliers on behalf of customers what they are doing to reduce plastic packaging.

“Every business in town is making changes in how they treat plastic. For example, one of the chip shops is aiming to be 95 per cent plastic free by the end of the year, the hospice shop is offering to recycle plastic bags in exchange for paper ones and Jones the Florist is offering customers paper, hessian and sisal alternatives to plastic on bouquets as well as reusing plastic boxes that transport flowers.

“For Llanidloes Carnival on July 14, the town’s pubs would normally use around 1,500 single use plastic cups each, but they are now working together with the intention of offering customers reusable pint and half pint hard plastic pots.

“When you ask the question, something happens. It’s quite easy to make things change if you are persistent like me.”

Events are planned on Saturday will run from 7am until midnight, starting with a river clean from the source of the Severn to Llanidloes.

At 10.15am, children from Llanidloes and Trefeglwys Primary Schools, together with their families and teachers, will assemble with campaign supporters for the ‘Message in a Bottle’ launch at Llanidloes Football Club. The children will sing their own version of the famous Police chart topper ‘Message in a Bottle’ to a live band of local musicians

Children and adults will then be transported in a coach by Celtic Travel to different parts of Llanidloes to pick litter, with the intention of tidying up the whole town by the end of the day

The pop musician Nova Amour, who is originally from Llanidloes, has given the campaign exclusive access to footage of the making of his new video, ‘Birthplace’, which was aptly filmed underwater. The video will be shown in the community centre during the day.